Yugioh! Duel Monsters 2: Heirs to the Throne
by DarkScytheQueen
Summary: Thirty years later, the Sands of Time are sifting again. Domino City has given rise to the 'Gamu no Ouji-sama', the Prince of Games. Only one problem: The Prince refuses his crown and his throne...or does he? The 'Season 0' of Yu-gi-oh! 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Nothing except the OC's is mine!**

**Oyo, peeps! You may be wondering why I don't update much anymore, well it's like this: My school life has been pretty much draining all my other ones, and everything else has just wilted. My dueling has even resulted in a slump, and don't get me started on how it has been affecting my drawing skills. And because of that, I cannot even **_**write **_**a good duel. And if I cannot write a duel, the story would better go on hiatus than have a crappy duel. That is how I am, and you cannot change that.**

**This story might be a little easy, since all of the chapters are inspired by songs that I hear everyday.**

**

* * *

**"_**Don't get lost…stay on track…"**_

_The air hung dreadfully, the clouds wafting a rather toxic fume over the reddened sky. The land was barren; the ground under his feet cracked from lack of water, the distance gave no view of anything other than sand plumes. _

_Yet, in all this, he didn't care._

"_**Win or lose I've got your back!"**_

_All he did was look at his own bloodied hand, and then closed it into a fist as his plum purple eyes were locked in rage into the distance. He ran his other hand through his bloodstained red-tipped pitch black hair and cocked his head back, tossing golden bangs away from his face._

"_**State your name…roger that, leave a message don't self-destruct…"**_

_He looked over his shoulder to survey his surroundings. His eyes scanned the view behind him, watching as his fallen comrades climbed steadily back to their feet. _

"_**Set us free…"**_

_Nearest him, one pushed against the ground and steadily stood up, one hand grazing his chocolate bangs and spitting out the blood in his mouth in one swift motion. _

"_**Let me be…"**_

_Another leaned against a rock, wiping away the dust from his amber brown eyes as matted blonde hair hung over them._

"_**Set me free…"**_

_The last of them propped himself into a sitting position, deep chocolate eyes wandering over to a large cut on his left arm, then his head snapped to the first, silvery white hair bouncing in the desert wind._

"_**Let us be…"**_

_The first turned around to his comrades, and let out a deep sigh. Then, he made a beckoning motion with his hand and the four of them trudged on, towards an unseen goal._

"_**No one can stop us now,  
**__**No matter where or how,  
**__**I'll make a change…  
This is my time…**_

_**That's where I'm going,  
**__**To the top  
**__**The cream of the crop  
**__**Yeah, Yeah!**_

_**I'm gonna be,  
**__**All I can be,  
**__**Set me apart…"**_

**

* * *

**

…_as you read this, you might have guessed who they are…_

…_let me tell you now…They aren't who you think._

**

* * *

**

Yuugi Mutou sat up on his bed, panting a little. He looked out his window to see the morning rays of the sun just inching into his window; the birds on the windowsill still have their beaks under their wings, and the light snoring that his grandfather made was still ringing around the house.

He sat up and got out of his bed and looked longingly toward his nightstand. He gazed upon a spot on the corner. Like something was supposed to be there…but isn't.

He let out a sigh and got dressed.

'_What was that dream I had…?_' He asked himself. '_It was so real, all that blood…Who were they? They looked like us…_'

He shook his head. "Nah, it couldn't be…" He said to himself with a smile. "All that should be over now…"

* * *

"Hey guys…"

As Yuugi entered the classroom, the hushed whispering began. Everyone was almost positive that it was impossible for _the _Yuugi Mutou to have a frown, or anything remotely related to that. Yet now, he was giving off more negative vibes than the leather-clad, pitch black emos that were frequently seen in the alleyways of Domino.

Jonouchi chose this chance to walk up to his (ahem) vertically challenged friend. "Yuugi…if this is about…" He stopped mid-sentence when Yuugi looked up at him with sad amethyst eyes.

"Right…we all miss him, but you don't have to go all emo on us."

Yuugi took his seat as his other classmates stopped whispering and continued with their other activities.

"It's just hard to think of something joyful when one of your closest friends is gone…"

Ryou patted him on the shoulder, a faint grin on his face. In contrast, If Yuugi was feeling depressed in the aftermath of their great adventure, Ryou would be downright ecstatic.

"Cheer up…_he_ wouldn't want you to feel sad after all he's done right?"

Yuugi grinned. "Well, _he_ wouldn't want _you_ to feel _happy_ after all he's done."

Ryou shrugged and smiled wider. "That's true."

Yuugi took out his books and started to hum a tune while doing so. Upon hearing the tune, both Ryou and Jonouchi started to ask the same question.

"Where'd you hear that tune…?"

Yuugi looked up at the two of them. "Would you believe me if I answered: '_In my dream last night_'?"

They both nodded. "That's were we heard it too."

Just then, a crumpled paper ball landed on Yuugi's table. Bewildered, he began to unwrap the paper to reveal something scribbled into the top-left corner in a neat Kanji script.

_I thought this 'Magic' crap was supposed to be over with when you sent him back._

They looked to the corner of the classroom and saw Seto looking directly at them. When Ryou shifted his stance, the brunet shook his head.

Yuugi nodded and wrote down his (and Ryou's and Jonouchi's) replies on the paper and tossed it to him.

_You too?_

_I didn't know you even slept!_

_Do you know where that song came from?_

They waited for him to send it back…which merely took a few seconds.

_It seems the adventure isn't going to be over for a long time. Those four seem to be linked with what went on the last few months, and are the key to ending this ridiculous escapade. I don't seem to recall ever hearing that song anywhere, and it seems to be a message. We shall discuss this further at lunch, meet me at the back of the school and do not tell anyone._

_P.S: Jonouchi, all human beings sleep, no matter whom they may be, so shut up._

* * *

Jonouchi poked his head around the corner and scouted around. "Coast is clear, gang."

Ryou and Yuugi shook their heads. "No need to treat this like _Mission Impossible_, Jou…" Yuugi commented, scratching his cheek.

"Wouldn't be surprised the theme music was playing." Ryou joked.

"Get over here already, you look even stupider than Jonouchi!" A deep, stern voice commanded from under a tree.

They quickly moved toward the shaded branches of the tree and saw Seto leaning against its trunk nonchalantly.

"Well, Yuugi…explain it." Seto half-ordered, sending a light glare in his direction.

"I don't know how…first time that happened to me." Yuugi sat down in between two large roots and looked up at the branches of the tree, watching the leaves sway merrily in the breeze.

Ryou leaned against the trunk and placed his hands in his pockets. "Those four boys might be from later on in Atemu's past…they did look rather young."

"Nah…" Jou remained standing, and started to pace. "They were wearing a lot of modern-day clothes for that. Maybe they're from the other side of the world or something."

"For once, the _bonkotsu _is right." Seto said airily, brow furrowed. "The problem is the timing is off…I noticed some rather odd things on their clothes."

"Like what?"

"Like for the fact that one of their outfits, looks almost exactly like mine…with the exception of the monogram on the collar."

He took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and showed it to the person closest to him, who was Ryou. "I drew it down before I forgot."

Ryou tilted his head and studied the paper. "It looks like a letter N on its side…"

He handed the paper to Yuugi.

Drawn on the paper, were two letters, written with only lines. One indeed looked like an N tilted to the right, and the other could be mistaken for either a check mark or a letter C. But Yuugi saw something different.

"A letter S and a letter K…" He mumbled.

Jonouchi took a peek at the letter and plucked it out of Yuugi's hands, bewildered. "I don't see a K here…"

"Here, let me show you…" Ryou peeked over his shoulder as Yuugi traced it. "If you look at it closely…the letter N here is actually an S…and, if you connect the line here, with the check here…you get a K."

"Look, this is getting nowhere…"

The three looked up to see Seto walk away. "Tomorrow's a Saturday, so try to find out why then. Afterwards, try to tell me over the email or phone. I still have a reputation to uphold."

As he left, Yuugi shook his head. "Still the same after all this…"

* * *

That night, Yuugi was sitting down on the foot of his bed, staring at the corner of the nightstand, where he used to keep the Millennium Puzzle.

"I just can't get used to it…"

He let out a sigh and crawled into bed, fluffing his pillow before resting his head on it.

* * *

_An extremely large ballroom, crowded with people as far as the eye could see, men in expensive suits and women in extravagant gowns left and right, chatting animatedly and laughing unconvincing high-pitched giggles._

_Yuugi was in the middle of it all, looking around with a confused expression on his face. _

'_Where am I?' He thought to himself. _

_Then, through a gap in the crowd, he saw something. _

_Squeezing his way through the crowd, he finally broke free, and there he saw._

_A young boy, no older than ten, with swept back red-tipped black hair and deep purple eyes, sitting meekly on a char in the corner of the room, was watching the crowd dance. He kept fingering the collar of his buttoned-up polo, apparently uncomfortable. _

_Bored, he got out of the seat and snuck out of the room, hands in his pockets. _

_Yuugi followed him out of the ballroom, down a hall, and up the staircase. There, he kept a distance as the boy walked on, not caring where he was going._

_All of a sudden, as he turned a corner, a low 'thud' sounded as he collided head on with someone._

"_Ow…" the boy mumbled, gingerly rubbing his head._

_He looked up to see who he bumped into. Another boy, at least the same age as him, with brown hair and a very bad case of bed head, wearing a blue turtleneck sweater with the same symbol that Seto showed them embroidered on the right side of the sweater._

_Before he could say anything, two people, coming from opposite sides, came running up to them. _

_On the left was a blond boy, roughly eleven, whose hair cascaded over one side of his face, his amber-colored left eye just barely visible. On the right was another boy, the same age as the blond, with finely combed silver-gray hair the parted on the right side of his head and was swept across his face. Before they saw it, they both tripped and stumbled, falling on top of the first two, creating a dog pile at the top of the stairs._

"_Get off!" Said the black-haired boy at the bottom of the pile angrily._

_The other three clambered to untangle themselves from the pile and stand up. _

"_Sorry about that…" Apologized the blonde, scratching the back of his head. _

"_Yeah, same here…"Said the other, running a hand though his hair again. _

_Then, 4 gruff voices rang out from the stairwell. _

"_Riku!"_

"_Kabuto!"_

"_Sanryo!"_

"_Yuuhi!"_

_The four boys looked at the stairwell and, in unison, proclaimed the same thing. "Uh oh…busted…"_

_They looked to each other, and laughed. _

_

* * *

_**Hope you like the new story! Again, I'm sorry I can't update any of my old stories and instead am thinking up new stories, but I hope you enjoy them all the same. But either way, I have some notes:**

**First, the bolded words at the first part of the chapter ARE lyrics, but they are not copyrighted to any of the bands/singers you know.**

**Second, I challenge you readers to guess which of the four boys have which names.**

**That's all and c'ya next time! **


	2. Chapter 2

**NOT MINE!**

**Hope this chap will explain things a little bit better.**

**

* * *

**"You have _got_ to be kidding me." 

"I'm not."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Jou frowned, and proceeded to knock himself in the head. "This makes no sense."

Yuugi shrugged apologetically. "I'm just telling what I saw…"

"Who were they…?" Ryou asked.

"We have one of three possible answers."

Everyone's attention snapped to Seto as he proceeded to explain, while to anyone else, he was reading a thick, hardbound book, he was talking to them in a hushed tone.

"Option one would be that they're from an alternate dimension, like what happened in the memory world."

Ryou and Yuugi gave it thought, but dismissed it.

"That doesn't seem to be the case, though. I could feel him, touch him, and even talk to him if I wanted. But I didn't, cause who knows what would've happened…"

Ryou seemed to understand despite we was never in the said dimension.

"Fine, option two is that it is distantly into the future, and that history would be repeating itself with them in our shoes."

Jou shook his head, his blond locks dancing. "That's out the window. If it was gonna happen like that, the clothes seem a little off…and besides…" At a pause, he gave a slight smirk. "Their Kaiba is _nice_."

Seto sent him a glare, be continued to explain.

"The third option is one I'd rather not elaborate." The brunet said curtly, closing his book in a snap.

Jou frowned. "Why not?"

Seto didn't answer, and moved towards the doorway, but before he cold make it, Jou stopped him.

"What's the last one? You went bankrupt and—"

At the word 'bankrupt', Seto grabbed the collar of Jou's uniform and hoisted him closer to his face.

"_Never…_" He whispered ominously. "_Ever…utter that word in my presence._"

He let him go and walked to the door, stopping just outside the doorframe.

"The third option would be evident if you answer positively to this question." He said sternly, not even turning back.

The three leaned in closer. After a deep breath, Seto turned to face them and whispered softly, as if it would mean life or death if anyone other than them heard what he was about to say.

"_Have you three ever had plans of reproduction_?"

* * *

Nighttime fell as Jonouchi kicked open the door to his apartment, feeling a little violated. After the little 'talk' he had, he went straight home after school, but stopped to play around at the local arcade to try and get his mind off of what he heard.

It had worked, but once he dropped himself onto the rotting sofa and surveyed the beer bottle and cigarette butt littered floor, he had thought of his father, who had been arrested for domestic violence, and consequently, caused the conversation at school to resurface. He shuddered at the question; trying his best to stop thinking about it.

"That was the most disgusting thing I have ever been asked…" He mumbled, as he got off the sofa and proceeded to picking the numerous beer bottles. As he did so, he couldn't help but think of the question further…

'_Yet…it __could__ happen…right_?'

He stood up straight, and walked over to the sofa, plopped down on it and dozed off thinking of the question.

* * *

_He opened his eyes to stare not at a rotting, leaking, peeling ceiling, but at a simple, yet elegant miniature chandelier._

'_**What the heck?**__' He thought to himself. '__**Where am I?**__'_

_He got up and looked around…_

…_or at least, he wanted to, but his body wouldn't cooperate._

'_**What the, I can't move!**__'_

_Then, at the sound of a whistling kettle, his body got up on its own accord, letting him see a simply decorated house, with a pale lavender wallpaper and similarly colored furniture, and a handsome oak bookcase filled with small trophies._

_His body moved towards a kitchen, and went to remove the kettle from the stove. _

'_**Whose house is this? Why can't I move?**__' He kept asking himself these and similar questions that he didn't notice that he had moved back to the previous room, with a mug of hot coffee in his hand. Then a thought crossed his mind. '__**Maybe this is one of those 'out of body' experiences…where you see your own self do things…yeah…that could be it…**__'_

"_Kabuto! Get down here already!" He heard himself call out in a very deep voice._

_After a pause, a quick thumping of feet told him someone was running on the second floor, he moved out of the room and to the foot of a staircase as the thumping got louder. _

_He watched as someone, roughly his age, raced down the stairs, and about halfway down, vaulted over the railing to land next to him._

_He looked down and saw that whoever it was also had messy, golden-blond hair. "One day you're going to slip up and on that day, I won't send you to the hospital."_

_The teen stood up. "We both know you will."_

_Jou couldn't believe it. Apart from the fact that this young man was around three of four inches taller than Jou's own height, and that his eyes were not only a pale amber as opposed to his dark chocolate, but also framed by sleek, silver, eagle-eye spectacles, the teen looked almost exactly him!_

"_Whatever." He heard himself say. "Get your bag and while you're at it, get me my laptop in there too."_

_The teen, whom he registered as Kabuto, shrugged. "Meh."_

_He moved to a bathroom as Kabuto left. "Kabuto's already in high school…like I was when it all started."_

'_**When it all started…wait a sec…maybe this **__**is**__** in the future.**__'_

_Jou gagged mentally. '__**Guess we all know what **__**that**__** means…**__'_

_He saw himself open the medicine cabinet, and grab a small bottle of pills. "Don't forget this like last time Kabuto! Those eyes of yours don't heal themselves!"_

_Kabuto popped his head into the bathroom, wearing a blank look. "Whatever, __**oyaji**__..." _(1)

_The teen grabbed the bottle from Jou's hand then proceeded to bolt out the door._

_He watched him run out the door and grab what looked like a skateboard, and then he sped away on it._

"_High School…I wonder if anything like __my__ days there will happen to him…"_

_He went back to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. There, Jou saw that his face, wrinkled a little by age, and having a bit of stubble around the chin, still had a bit of charm in it. _

"_I hope not for his sake…" _

_

* * *

_Jou sprang up from his position on the sofa, only to be assaulted by the stanch of old alcohol and nicotine. 

"Glad that's over." He said to himself as he got off the rotting piece of furniture and made his way to the phone. "Yuugi's never gonna believe this…"

* * *

**(1) '**_**Oyaji**_**' – A casual way of saying 'father'; The Japanese equivalent of saying 'Pops' or 'Dad'.**

**I hope to see more of your feedback on this. Recently, my mom has moved one of her old computers to my desk for homework, so that only means one thing…**

_**I get my own comp**_

**(Confetti drops from the ceiling as fireworks explode in the distance)**

**So now I have no one to bump me off the computer! Yay me! **

**Until the next chapter then!  
Oh and PS: to Kilnorc:**

_**UPDATE HEROES ALREADY!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**NOT MINE!**

**Here you guys go, the latest update fresh from Microsoft Word, for your reading pleasure.**

_**Around the same time that Jou got home**_

* * *

Ryou looked around the large, spacious apart and smiled at the meager amount of clutter that dotted it. A stray book on the kitchen table, an empty bowl of that morning's cereal in the sink, a pair of bedroom slippers scattered casually next to the bedroom door, but otherwise a very tidy room.

He propped his bag onto a nearby chair and unceremoniously dropped onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling. As he mused, the conversation at school rang in his mind like it was on a speaker.

'_After all I went through, I'll believe anything._' He thought absently, finger the spot on his chest where he usually felt a cold chill of hard metal…

…at least, he _thought_ it was from the metal until he figured out what it _really_ was.

After his adventures, he found the greatest pleasure in everything around him; a simple breeze could have him smiling so wide people would think he escaped from a psycho ward. Yet, who wouldn't be happy after a crazed, bloodthirsty, disembodied grave robber's spirit finally left your body?

He looked toward the coffee table, and his eyes rested on the small glass case in its center. Inside were a number of lead figurines, which he himself had carved and colored. A memento to when he had lost his life, and had it returned to him…

And the first time he met Yuugi, Jou, Anzu, Honda…

…And Atemu.

His train of thought turning to the recent events, he closed his eyes and thought with a chuckle…

'_I wonder what adventures those boys are going to get into…'_

After a moment, the room was filled with light snoring.

* * *

_Ryou opened his eyes and saw that he was staring up into the sky._

"_**Wha?**__"_

_He sat up, and looked around._

"_**What am I doing back at Domino High?**__"_

_This was true. He WAS back at his school, but it seemed…bigger that before. He was in the exact spot where he had talked with Yuugi, Jou and Seto, but the tree they were under then, was now nothing more than a stump. The school grounds itself looked twice as big as before, maybe to accommodate more students. _

"_**Whoa…**__"_

_The hustle and bustle of students coming in brought his attention to the front of the school gate. There he saw countless students filing in headed for the school's front door. One in particular caught his eye._

_Walking with a spring in his step, snapping his fingers and nodding his head along to whatever beat was playing in his MP3 player, was a boy roughly his age and height, them among other things…light gray hair, styled to flop to the side of his face, chocolate brown eyes that twinkled with a sort of boyish charm, lanky thin wrists, and a pale complexion. _

"_**So, he must be mine then…**__" Ryou asked himself._

_It took him a moment to figure out no one could see him when a couple, seniors by their look, had walked past Ryou, went to the stump, and proceeded to make out on it._

_He got out from his hiding place, and went up the doors of his school to find that boy again. _

_Weaving in and out of the crowd of students, he came to see what looked like a stage set up on a large paved garden in the center of the school._

_He got up on stage to get a good look at the massive crowd of blue and pink._

_There, near the edge, was the boy again, taking a seat on one of the benches. He had removed one of the earphones to listen to his surroundings, and his eyes were focused at the stage. _

_Behind him, leaning against a tree, was another boy. The branches blocked the boy's face, but from what he could see, he was tall, a little thin, and was reading a book._

_Just then, someone made his way onto the stage. By the look of the suit, he must be the new principal. "Attention students." He said into a microphone. "Welcome to the new school year. I'm Mr. Kageyama, your principal. I must say that we didn't have this much students back in my day, but I hope you'll all learn something interesting in your first years here._

"_Since you're all freshmen, I'll let you have this day to roam around the school, do whatever you want, as long as it follows in the rules and regulations of the school."_

_He took a breath. _

"_That is all, enjoy your stay."_

_He left the stage, and the crowd disbanded. Ryou got off the stage as the majority of students left for the inner walls of the school and left a meager few in the garden._

"_Hey, Riku!" Someone called._

_The boy shut off his MP3 player and glanced. Another student came racing up to him, holding a skateboard in one hand and a bag in another. Judging by his blond hair, he was related to Jou._

"_Yo, Kabuto." Riku greeted, pocketing the MP3 and giving the blond Kabuto a high-five. "Late again?" _

_Kabuto smiled and put his skateboard into his large sports bag. "Meh, ran into a fruit cart on the way, so I had to pick up the fruit before I left and—"_

_He stopped mid-sentence and fished out an apple from the bag. A banana, orange, and another apple followed suit._

"_Well, guess I got lunch after all."_

_The two laughed and moved towards the inner walls of the high school. Ryou, being curious, proceeded to follow them a few steps behind and managed to hear what they were talking about._

"—_haven't been playing recently…the freakin' computer crashed." Riku was saying, apparent anger in his tone._

"_What about your other one?" Kabuto inquired._

"_Being used by dad."_

"_And your __other__ other one?_

"_Doesn't have internet."_

_As Riku let out a breath, Kabuto patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it. I know this place has a Computer lab…"_

_Riku stopped walking abruptly and Ryou almost ran into him. The former has a smirk on his face, reminiscent of a very well known bandit._

_Kabuto looked at Riku's face and gulped. "Oh no…what has Riku Bakura, the 'techno-genius' got in that head of his…" _

"_PDA…check…USB cable…check…Extremely fast download speed…check…itchy keyboard hand…" He raised his right hand, which was twitching slightly. "Double check."_

_Kabuto face faulted. "You're not thinking of…"_

"_Where's the lab?" Riku asked, the smirk growing wider._

_Without waiting for a reply, he looked up ahead and spotted the small 'Computer room' sign hanging over a doorway a few meters away._

"_Dude, you're definitely on 'Online Game Withdrawal'."_

_Riku didn't listen, and ran towards the room, Ryou kept his pace, but Riku sped up, letting Ryou hear one sentence, which left Ryou with a chill up his spine._

"_Crescendo of the Night, your Lord has returned…"_

_

* * *

_Ryou bolted awake, sitting up on his couch. 

"Could it be…?"

He ran to the phone and dialed Yuugi's number.

"They can't be back…could they…?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading and drop a review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**-All I own are the boys.**

…**So sorry. It seems I can't follow the system I planned out earlier. So many ideas are popping out for this story. I'll just update this until I lose my inspiration.**

…**but who knows when that'll be…**

**

* * *

**"You're kidding me right?" 

"_I wish I was Yuugi. But I heard him loud and clear. He said—_"

"I know what he said, Ryou…you know what I mean…"

Yuugi brushed away one golden-blond lightning-shaped bang from his amethyst eye and scratched his forehead. Only a couple of hours after school and he had already received two calls revealing more information on the four boys they've came to call 'The Future Squad'. Still holding the phone, he slumped into the couch.

"_Yuugi…are you still there…?_"

"Yeah…yeah I am…Just a little overwhelmed. Jonouchi called before you did. He saw Kabuto leave for school."

"_It seems Kabuto and Riku are best friends…it just seems curious…_"

"What does…?"

"_Well, in my vision…there was this other student. He was aloof from the rest, leaning against the wall, reading a book. I couldn't see his face, but I could see something…_"

"What?"

"_He was wearing a swallowtail coat._"

"He was wearing a what?"

"_A swallowtail coat. Think of a trench coat with the long hem divided into two points, like a swallow's tail._"

Yuugi didn't reply. At that point, something in his memory clicked.

"Sanryo."

"_Who?_"

"No way…"

"_Yuugi, what's up?_"

"Think about it Ryou…"

"_What?_"

"His name. 'San' means three, 'Ryo' means…"

There was a pause on the other line.

"_It's our adventure all over again._"

* * *

"Kaiba is _that_ obsessed…?"

"Jou, right now is not the time for your opinion."

"When then?"

Yuugi shrugged as he and Jou walked down the slightly empty street to meet up with Ryou at the Domino Museum. In the weeks past Atemu's departure, they seemed to be drawn to the Museum's collection of relics and antiquities even more so than before. If they ever needed a quiet place to talk and think, this was always their first stop.

They found Ryou seated on the steps, looking upward at the orangey-hued sky.

"Hey, Ryou." Yuugi greeted, coming into his line of view.

"Oh. Sorry, didn't hear you coming."

He got up and brushed what looked like crumbs of a sandwich off his lap.

"Did you stay here for an hour?"

"Just around fifteen minutes…I brought some food along, but they wouldn't let me in. So I ate it out here."

"Anyway…let's go."

The three slowly climbed the steps, only to reach the top and see someone there waiting for them.

Even though he was dressed as casually as he could muster, with nothing but a black hat, blue jacket, black slacks, and blue-lined white sneakers, his thin frame, aloof attitude and ominous aura effecting those nearby him made him stand out.

"What brings you out here dressed like one of us?" Ryou asked.

"As much as I hate to deny it, this museum emanates a calming presence." Seto replied, keeping the hat on his head down low. "It's also a worthy place to talk of private matters such as this."

They entered the museum, and immediately set down the corridor with the least amount of people, talking about the latest information on the Future Squad. Swiftly moving past glass cases containing artifacts of civilizations long past, past large tapestries showing ancient works of art, they found themselves in an exhibit wherein there was no one in sight.

"…and that's it." Yuugi finished, looking up at Seto's face to see his impassive face. As usual, he made no reply, and absently leaned against the wall near the door.

"That's all?" He asked after a moment, clearly vexed at the insignificance of the information.

"It's not like we can press 'fast forward' or 'rewind', Kaiba!" Jou growled angrily, glaring at him. "You try it before you tell us what's significant!"

"….I already did."

"What?"

"Do you think I _like _being in this museum? I came here because I called Yuugi!"

Jou and Ryou both looked to Yuugi, who was making an effort not to be noticed by hiding behind a pedestal containing a peculiarly familiar tablet.

"Listen, guys…I can explain…"

He was about to, but then he saw the tablet he was hiding behind for the first time.

Even though it was almost invisible, there, lightly carved into the back of the tablet, so light that it was almost illegible, was his name written in Kanji.

"Hey, check this out!"

He called them over and pointed to the back of the tablet.

"How is that possible?" Ryou asked, studying the tablet with a curious eye. Yes, there it was, oh the back of a centuries old tablet, someone had written something to Yuugi in modern Japanese.

"If only we could open this case…" Yuugi whispered, placing his hand on the glass.

"No guards…no cameras…" He heard Jou say. "Yuugi, move over and let me."

Yuugi moved away, and saw Jou slip a small wire out of his pocket. Perplexed, Yuugi looked up at his friend. "Cover me." He heard Jou whisper as he inserted the wire into the small lock of the case.

As Jou worked, Seto could not help but mutter. "What other tricks do you know?"

Jou overheard and he smirked a little. "Now wouldn't you like to know…?" As soon as the last word left his mouth, he heard a small click and the lock opened.

He slowly slid the lock off the glass case, set it on the floor, and took the tablet out. "I can barely see it, but it does have your name on it Yuugi."

Yuugi took the tablet and flipped it around. Almost invisible, but he could see it. It was hastily etched in, and by the looks of it, it wasn't done professionally. The Kanji was incorrect in some places, and the order of the words was a little off, but the basic idea was easily understood.

_**Yuugi, **_

_**It is from my last fleeting memory of our time together that I remember how to write in this language. Time is short, so I must make this brief. After I departed from your world, the modern world, I discovered that the Sands of Time had another purpose for me. I cannot do this task alone, so I have decided to leave this last memory, the memory of the task that I must do, the incident that I must rectify, to you. **_

_**Below is a spell from my time, written in a way you can understand. What I ask is that you recite it. **_

Below the bewildering letter, Yuugi brushed away the aging dust on the tablet, and saw some strange words etched below, they were written in Kanji, but they weren't any words that any of them knew.

Jou reread the letter. "I'm game when you are Yuugi." He said, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder encouragingly.

Yuugi looked to Ryou and Seto. The former nodded and the latter bore a look that unmistakably said '_If you must…_'. Seeing their replies, he took a deep breath and read the incantation to the best of his ability.

"_Turaimu Maijin…Turaimu Maijic…Toransupor Murai Mainde Tau Daa Powaisu Thorat Aimu Niden._" (1)

Almost immediately, all four of them fell over as if someone slugged them over the head with a mallet. The tablet fell from Yuugi's hands and broke on impact with the floor, and the pedestal that it was placed in vanished into thin air.

* * *

(1) If you can just barely see it, these words are merely an exaggerated way of saying a sentence. I dare you to find out what I wrote.

**That's all for now, I hope you enjoy it! (Makes the peace sign) Peace out to all my readers and my friends, especially Brian! Good luck with the new story, dude!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I only own the OC's in this story okay?**

**As said before, writer's block, sports day at school, and overload of homework have slowed me down…but not taken me out of the game. Here's to a good story.**

**

* * *

**The darkness surrounded… 

Anything and everything around him…

And yet, he knew why. Why the dark souls wandering this forsaken place do as they do, why the inky black shadows grip at his clothing, his hands…his face…his heart.

"It's strange to feel this feeling again…" He said to himself. '_I thought I would never feel this again…wished I never felt it…and on the other hand…the truth is…I missed it._'He added in his thoughts.

How many times did he feel the shadow's touch? How many times did he open his eyes to see nothing but black, not even able to see his own two hands…?

And yet he missed it…?

'_Bakura must've made an influence on me…' _

Ryou smiled as he glanced around at the shadows. Thinking about the long periods of time he had spent there…

Then, a sudden shifting caught his attention. Someone was there with him. Whether they were another wandering ghost, or something else uncertain, he tried to make anything out: footsteps, movements…breathing.

Wait, breathing?

"Who's there…?"

The shadows did well to his the newcomer, the swirling black fog hid any features, the endless black hid any silhouette…but it could not hide his breathing.

"Who are you…?" Ryou asked defensively, taking a step back.

"_Ryou, I'm surprised you can't recognize me._" A voice replied. Strong and endearing, a total opposite of the surroundings, it gave Ryou a small bit of trust.

Slowly, the shadows shifted, gaining color and texture, as if a black curtain was being lifted. Eventually, he could make out the figures of his companions, there beside him without his knowledge, and a fifth figure, of one he thought he would never see again.

"Atemu, it's good to see you again." He heard Yuugi call happily, seeing a figure to his right began to wave its arm.

"_As is to you Yuugi…_" The ancient king replied with a small smile. "_I only wish it was under better circumstances…_"

"Enough with the pleasantries, Atemu, what is it you want _this time_?" Seto's ever-stern voice rang out.

"Kaiba, just let the guy talk." Jou snapped.

Atemu help up a hand and shook his head. "No, no…he is right, we only have a short time for now…" The shadows had lifted completely by that time, and they now saw him for the first time face to face. The years on the throne had done little to change his face. He still had those stern, piercing red-violet eyes, the left eye hidden slightly by his golden yellow bangs similar to Yuugi's. The marble white robe he wore completely contrasted to his sun-tanned skin and his crown accented his wild, vibrant hair to the point that you could not tell the hair from the gold metal.

"You haven't changed a bit…literally." Jou joked.

"_That is because in this world, I choose what I want to look like. And I chose the age and form you saw me last, so as to recognize me_."

He waved a hand around him, and he showed them that they were on top of a small clay hut overlooking the palace, where they had their most dangerous, most thrilling, and their most memorable adventure.

"What was so important, Atemu?" Ryou asked, a little concerned for their ancient friend.

"_When we parted ways in your world, and I returned to this world…I discovered that the course of history was changed, and the Millennium Items were never created at all._"

"Well, what's wrong then…?"

"_Magic still runs rampant, and the shadows steadily gain power, only to burst into the world by feeding off of hate._"

He pointed at the foot of the hut, and they saw that an enormous crowd of people, possibly the whole nation, were gathered around a central square. The square's center stood one young man, dressed in a strange, bronze armor. He had a bronze, tight-fit helmet that seemed to only show his eyes, and his chest armor gleamed in the sun, stained with what looked like blood stains. He was standing proud, his bloodstained sword proudly stabbed into the ground.

"That one there is Roman." Seto pointed out. Atemu nodded to his accusation.

"_This is thirty years after you sent me back…my reign was challenged by an invading Roman army. And as you can see there…_" He pointed next to the Roman, and they saw a burly man, wearing nothing but a black robe and hood.

"_My country lost, and now they are to execute the loser_."

Yuugi's eyes widened at the revelation, Jou openly gawked at Atemu, Ryou's hand shot to his mouth, and Seto was audibly taking in a sharp breath.

"That's how you die?" Yuugi blurted out. Before Atemu could answer, the Roman held up his hand and made a beckoning motion to the burly executioner.

"_Sadly, no. I was to suffer a slow, agonizing death because of guilt of what I've done…_"

He pointed at the foot of the square, and they saw, two more Romans escorting another man in a hood. They got to the middle of the square, and Yuugi could see some women weeping horribly, their children holding on to their tattered rags. The Egyptian soldiers surrounding the crowd were holding back the crowd reluctantly, grief visible in their eyes.

The hooded man slowly took off his hood. And it was then Yuugi saw why.

The one in the hood was no more than a boy his age, wearing a similar crown to Atemu's, but his hair was long, tied back into a ponytail that reached to below his shoulders, the hair on top of his head spiking upward and swept back, five golden yellow bangs radiated from the center of his forehead, and his deep, piercing purple eyes stared ahead in a clear expression: '_I have no regrets, go ahead and kill me_.'

Then, the scene immediately faded to black. Atemu was kneeling down, hiding tears in his eyes.

"_That was my son, Armon._" Atemu breathed after a moment. "_He took my place_." He took Yuugi's shoulders and drew him closer, his eyes giving away his desperation. "_Yuugi, thirty years after, in your time, my son will be reborn as yours, and sadly, his death will be repeated. Those visions you four have are warnings I have sent to you, I beg of you Yuugi, please…don't let my son die __**again**_!"

* * *

**Hope that brings in some reviewers…(crosses fingers)**


	6. Chapter 6

**All I own are the OC boys! **

**Well people, my turn at my sports day is over, and while resting, I'll write up the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

It's the first day of High School…you could almost _smell _the excitement wafting off of me.

Like _I'd _be excited school is back in town…If you can't see, I'm gagging right now.

I looked out my – slightly dirty – window. I watched as people passed by on the sidewalk, and cars driving up and down the street. After a few minutes of watching, I decided to might as well show up at school.

They already _know _that I'm gonna show up. They just don't know _when_.

I moved to my small closet and opened it up, glancing at a small moth, escaping to freedom, before catching it in my hand and slamming it against the wallpaper-stripped wall.

Hey, it's the moth's fault for trying to eat up my clothes.

I grabbed the school uniform that was hanging in there, along with assorted clothes, all with tears and rips in them.

So sue me if I like clothes with tears in them! Of course, my dad would never allow me…I guess it would ruin his _damn _image. That's right I said _damn_! Get over it!

The pants were kinda okay, not torn, but at least they didn't look gay. The jacket I like. It's got long sleeves.

I slipped the jacket's sleeve on my left arm, but left the right free. That's my style, and it lets those freshmen who they're messing with. Besides, hell will freeze over if there isn't a student there who hasn't heard of me.

I grabbed a small bit of loose change on the couch and moved out the door. But as soon as I did, I bumped into someone, didn't see who, but I did see a bit of white hair.

"Move it or lose it." I snapped as I briskly walked away. I didn't need to hear that guy (whoever he his) rant about how kids these days don't have manners. I'd tell him save it for the retirement home, but I got things to do. It's one thing to intimidate students, which I got down to a pat. A teacher on the other hand…

I got to the sidewalk and started off to the school. Taking the longer route, passing by the ocean and the park, I coincidentally passed by a back alley where a couple of guys, thug wannabes by their look, were about to gang up on a small junior high student.

"Hey boss, what're we gonna do about this kid?" Asked one thug while clapping a baseball bat to his palm, looming over the boy like an overgrown bat.

One of them was leaning against the wall, and glancing at the scared, whimpering at the kid. "Oh I dunno…" He said with a smirk on his face. He was about to grab his lackey's baseball bat, when he caught a glance at me.

"Oh crud." he gasped. "Let's beat it!"

The two bolted as the kid pulled him self together enough to stand up. He took one look at me, and shuddered.

"A-a-aren't you…?"

"Yeah, I am. Hurry up and bolt before I decide to finish their job." I barked.

He left without a word and I continued walking. Everyday is pretty much like that, bullies run away from me, the bullied wimps shudder at the sight of me. It's a good feeling actually.

Passing the park, I immediately got to the Oceanside bay walk. I watched the water sparkle with the sunlight, it was a very picturesque view. Maybe that's why I like to come here and watch the sunset. Or it could be because my name means 'Sunset'. I didn't name myself, my mom and dad did.

I looked at my reflection in the water. My face kinda sticks in your head, now that I think about it. What other guy out there in the world has swept back, red-tipped, pitch black hair tied back in a small ponytail, and five golden-yellow bangs? What other guy has deep, plum purple eyes?

Well, besides my dad, but then again, he's where I get my looks.

I saw the school come up, and saw a white limo at the gate. I wasn't really sure if it was a limo, but let me tell you, it's pure white, it's got a hood ornament, and it's got a chauffeur. It might as well be a limo.

I just shrugged it off, and smirked as the newbie freshmen turned to look at me and gasp.

"Hey, isn't that Yuuhi Mutou?"

"Yeah, let's bolt before he looks this way and beats the crud out of us."

I love it when they say that.

* * *

School…at first I thought it would be fun. Finally, a chance to be who I really want to be…but once again, that little fantasy of mine stays just a fantasy when I heard that it was a local school.

I had already dressed in the uniform, had a few of my things in my bag, and right now I'm looking out the window, watching with interest a small group of girls walking together, chattering and laughing as they turned a corner and out of sight.

I looked at the cell phone I had in my hand. Its hand-free cord trailed from my other hand, and along the floor towards a blue and silver tint guitar, which was leaning against a large stereo system.

As you can see, I enjoy music. Rock music to be precise, but other genres interest me. It just depends of their lyrics. Unfortunately, it doesn't rub well against my father. According to him, and I quote: 'Music is like a drug to you.' Maybe it is, but there are a few benefits: One, it's legal. Two, it doesn't pollute your body. And three, if you download music directly into your music player, and in this case, my cell phone, it's free.

"_Everybody's always talkin' 'bout me, everybody's tryin' to get in my head. I wanna listen to my own heart talkin'; I need to count to my self instead…"_

I flipped my cell phone open and answered the call. "Yes?"

"_Sir, the car is ready to leave._"

"I'll be down soon."

I flipped the phone shut and plugged the hand-free in. I placed the earphones on and walked out the door, catching something white slip around the corner. Shrugging it off, I continued down the large marble staircase, down and out the main hallway, out of the large oak doors, and down the steps towards the car. The chauffeur bowed at my arrival, taking his hat off and showing his thinning, pearly white hair.

"Shall we leave now, sir?" he asked, adjusting the sunglasses he never seems to take off.

"I told you not to call me 'sir'." I snapped with a smile as I got in the car. He smiled back and got in as well.

"It always seems to slip my mind, sir."

I let out a sigh as the car started up. "Don't call me 'sir'. It makes me think I'm old…and like my father…"

"Trust me. You are nothing like your father…though if you're talking about looks…"

"Very funny."

He let out a chuckle, and glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "You really are a mirror image of your father, Ryo."

"Need you remind me?" I asked.

"But it stops at the looks. Inside, you two couldn't be any more different." He continued, turning a corner. I noticed a group of students, one from my new school, in an alley. "May I give advice, Sanryo?"

"Just call me Ryo." I instructed, looking out the car window. "I still don't know where my father got the idea of adding 'san' to it. I understand that Ryo is a common name. So what's the point of adding the number three to it?"

"Your name means 'Three dragons', does it not? I've known your father for a long time, Ryo. That little phrase means a lot to him."

I leaned into the plush, leather lining of the car. "I keep forgetting you've worked for my father for over thirty years…"

I blew a stray chocolate brown lock away from my face. My father is always badgering me to straighten my hair. I personally dislike using gel. I like my hair like this. It's what most girls would call 'the perfectly messy hair'.

The car stopped and I glanced at the school, a lot of girls were still outside, talking together.

"I'd be wary of those girls, Ryo. Even your father has trouble with them."

"Good to know…" I commented, closing the door as I left the car.

Walking into the grounds, I couldn't help but listen for the animated whispering, excited giggles, and squeals that I heard when I first got into Junior High.

Sure enough…

"Check that freshman out!"

"He's so cute!"

"I heard that he's like the richest kid in the city!"

"I hope he's nice…"

"Those blue eyes of his are so dreamy!"

I smiled. '_Every time…_' I thought to myself. As I got to the main building, I spotted a security cam. Like a rock in the air, that happy feeling I had at the beginning of the day dropped. '_Drat…__**he**__ even has this place wired with cameras…_'

I fished a small, but thick book from my bag and proceeded to read it. Even in school I have to put on the show that _he _wants to see.

* * *

"Atemu…where are we?"

Atemu didn't answer. After they had found out Atemu's son's fate, and had accepted to help him, they had dropped through a sudden rift in the shifting shadows and dropped to this place.

They were in a hall of, by the looks of it, a dismal, uncared for, apartment housing.

"Thirty years in your future." he finally replied.

Ryou scanned the litter-lined, stained and torn walls with disgust. "Why are we here…?"

"You'll see…"

Just then, the door closest to Ryou opened, and someone came out, bumped against Ryou, and with a brief exchange of words, the stranger left. Even though it was brief, Jou and Yuugi saw his red, yellow and black hair.

"Atemu…was that…"

"Yes…that would be Armon, or should I call him by his present name…Yuuhi."

Jou furrowed his brow. "Doesn't that mean 'sunset'?"

"It does."

"Why is he here?"

"From what I know. He had an argument with you, Yuugi, and because of that, he ran from home."

Said person watched Yuuhi's retreating form with shock. After a few minutes, Ryou noticed something...

"Where's Kaiba?"

* * *

"Those blasted shadow warp holes…" Seto mumbled as he picked himself up off the floor, looking around as he did so.

It looked like he was in a corridor of his mansion, but it had some distinct differences than from what he can remember.

Just then, a door opened, and, thinking fast, he ducked away into a corridor. As he hid behind a large bookshelf, he saw, with disbelieving eyes, a young man, with his almost exact look, pass by his line of sight.

"Atemu…you are going to owe me big time for this…" he mumbled, taking the opportunity to stalk his look-alike.

* * *

**Hope this gets reviews! **


	7. Chapter 7

**I only own the boys, got it?**

**Hey everyone, how's October? Getting ready for Halloween, I suppose? Well, here's a treat for you: I'm in the midst of making a Halloween One-Shot, with a crossover of YGO and one of the supposedly creepiest animes in my country. It's called 'Girl from Hell'. If you wanna know, look it up. I'm not giving away anything…until midnight of Hallow's eve. That's right! The first hour of twilight…**

**I'll be waiting…**

**

* * *

**It made me sick… 

It disgusted me to the depths of my stomach to know that this was gonna happen in the future. What happened? What happened in the thirty years that have passed to see someone with my blood act like he does…?

Yuuhi…if you really _are _my son…what happened to you?

* * *

School wasn't so bad…

What am I saying? School is as boring as I knew it to be.

After all, I had to go through the same _damn _year _twice_!

You're still wincing? Oh, get over it!

I wandered around the outskirts of the campus, looking for _my spot_. The place that people know _belongs _to me. Anyone trespassing pays full price. And my prices are a little hefty on the wallet. Not because I force them to pay money…it's just that hospitals can be _so_expensive.

I found it: A nice shady tree behind the gymnasium. Cool, breezy, and not that well known…at least, I thought it was, considering I saw a bully and sissy wimp there.

Goody, first exercise of the school year…

* * *

"P-p-please…don't h-h-hurt me…"

"Wazzat wimp? You want me ta loosen up that quivrin' lip'a yurs?"

"No please! H-h-have mercy…"

The first person was shoved into the Gymnasium wall as the second person sent a punch into the first's side. The bully let his victim drop, his deep blue hair falling over his grey eyes.

"What do you…want…from me?" He asked, looking up at the bully.

"Maybe your wallet and whatever you're keepin' in that box'a yurs…"

"The wallet you can take, but please don't take the box!"

"Wazzat?"

He bent over to pick him up again, but he heard someone.

"Excuse me, but I think you're in _my_ spot."

"Who's dere?"

He looked around, and se saw someone leaning against the corner wall of the Gym. He couldn't quite make out his face.

"Get ova 'ere and talk to ma face, coward!" he yelled angrily.

"You don't know who you're talking to here…"

"No, dat's you! Da name's Kuro 'Killer' Kaminari!"

"Three K's huh? What does that stand for? _Kisama Kinshou Koinu?" _(You little puppy)

"Dat's it! Fight wid' me!"

The intruder stepped into the bully's line of sight, for once, the bully wasn't scared away.

At least…at first…

"Huh…You're wearin' ya jacket on da left sleeve…"

"Did guess it yet, Einstein? The name's Yuuhi."

"Yuuhi…ya mean _Mutou Yuuhi_?"

"Well, least we both know your I.Q. isn't a negative…"

The teen thug stumbled back, as his victim was busy trying to be noticed. "I gotta get outta here!"

Yuuhi moved forward and grabbed his shoulder. "You promised me a fight…" He said ominously. The bully cringed and whimpered when he heard knuckles cracking. "…and I need the exercise…"

Kuro's victim ran off out of sight as Yuuhi began pummeling the living daylights out of his attacker. Blow after blow, Kuro's yelps of pain rang through the scared teen's ears. Then, as suddenly as they started, they stopped. He turned back to see Kuro scrambling away, his face deeply bruised and banged up. He looked back and saw Yuuhi leaning against the tree trunk, wiping off his hands with the inside of his jacket.

As he got closer, he yelped out at the sight of blood in the jacket's lining.

"Stop being a wuss!" Yuuhi snapped. "The blood came from his nose."

He put on the jacket again and, without looking up, asked, "What do you want?"

"I…I wanted to thank you…"

"…and?"

"A-a-and…to g-g-give you something for you help…"

At this Yuuhi looked up. The boy he saved was slowly inching closer to him, carrying a small wooden box. He opened the lid and took out a deck of cards. At the sight of the cards, Yuuhi's brow immediately furrowed.

"This is a really old version of the cards that were used a long time ago for Dueling, now they use V-cards, but these also have value…I have a lot of them since my dad was a really avid player…I want you to have one."

"I don't need it." Yuuhi said curtly.

"Please?"

"I told you I don't need it! I've had enough of those _damn_ things from my dad!"

"Oh yeah, now I remember, your dad is Yuugi! He's a _legend_! Can you one day let me meet with him?"

Yuuhi held his head in his hand. "Go away…" he mumbled.

"Hmm?"

Yuuhi snapped his head up at him, his deep purple eyes locked in a death glare. "I said: _Get the __**damned**__ hell __**out of here**_!"

He ran as fast as he could hugging his small box of relic cards as he did, but that didn't stop a single card from slipping free and landing a few feet away from Yuuhi.

After a few minutes of relaxation, Yuuhi glanced at the small card lying there in the sun, rolled his eyes, and picked it up. It was of a dragon, with deep crimson scales, two wide fins on either sides of its head, with a small green jewel lodged in his forehead and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

"A 'Tyrant Dragon', huh?" Yuuhi remarked. "Might fetch a good price for a collector…"

* * *

Yuugi was watching the entire scene.

He wasn't pleased.

Everyone else was just stunned. "Whoa…"

"He's rough…"

"He's even worse than…" Ryou stopped mid-sentence.

"Armon was like that as well…"

Everyone looked to Atemu. "He was?"

"Not initially…I don't know what happened…but he began to act that way when he was 14."

Yuugi couldn't help but ask. "How old was he when…"

"Eighteen."

Then, footsteps sounded from behind them.

"So _that's_ where you were…"

"Shut up, _koinu_…"

* * *

"You're kidding me…"

"Honest truth…"

"He _hates_ the game?"

"Positive…"

Seto didn't say anything, staring at the young man, his rival's son, in well-hidden disbelief.

"Impossible…"

"That's what _we_ said…but it's true."

At that moment, Yuuhi stood up and moved away from 'his spot'. The onlookers all followed him in secret.

* * *

They watched through the trees of the campus as Yuuhi exited the main building, taking a large bit out of the sandwich he bought.

"Why do you guys think he hates Duel Monsters…?" Jonouchi asked.

"Who knows…?" Yuugi replied, downhearted. "And right now who cares…" He muttered to himself inaudibly.

Ryou inched closer to get a better view. "What I want to know is how he got so…so…"

Yuugi voiced out the final word. "Evil?"

"Not that…"

"Shh! Check it out!"

They watched as Yuuhi stopped in his tracks. Up ahead, in 'his spot', typing something in a laptop, sat Sanryo.

"Now this I wanna see…" Jonouchi whispered.

* * *

I was lucky to find a nice place. There weren't any cameras here, so I was free to do whatever I wanted…like play _Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne_ on my laptop for instance. _World of Warcraft _and_ Defense of the Ancients _were nice spin-offs, but I prefer the classic RTS game rather than the redundant hack-and-slash.

The three other clans were just about wiped out by my forces, when I heard someone walk up. I looked up and saw the student from the alleyway earlier.

"You're in my spot." he said curtly. I sensed irritation and vexation in his tone, and the way he looked at me was ominous.

I could've just silently walked away, but I was desperate for a blind spot for those cameras. "I'm sorry. I hadn't realized that this place was already favored by someone. But surely with the space this place has, can't we share?"

"Get. Out. Of. My. Spot." He growled. Each word was punctuated with utmost restraint.

I closed my laptop and slipped it into my bag. "I take it you're in second year, but had to repeat freshman year?" I asked simply. I touched a nerve. He snapped his eyes to me in a venomous glare. Could I help it if his actions and behavior were so blatantly obvious?

"Who told you?" He snapped. Deep plum eyes narrowed into slits. His breath became shallow, hastened.

"No one…I just assumed…"

"Shut up!"

* * *

Yuuhi, in his anger, balled his hand and launched a fist at Sanryo's face. The brunet, amazingly, caught it inches from his face. He lowered the fist, with a mix of surprise and fear on his features. "You don't have to go all physical, I am going to leave."

Yuuhi didn't hear it; he drew back and launched another punch, this time it was so fast it seemed like a blur.

What seemed like a faster blur was Sanryo ducking his punch, grabbing onto his arm, and twisting it around his body and locked it against his back. Yuuhi winced at the pain of having his right arm in an unnatural position.

"_Damn_ it…" The pony-tailed teen spat.

After a moment, Sanryo let him go, letting Yuuhi fall to the ground. "I don't know what's your problem, but I'm not gonna ask you."

He silently collected his bag, blew a stray strand of hair from his eyes, and walked off.

Yuuhi stood up again, and rubbed his chin. "_Damn_ freshman…" He snarled, spitting a wad into the dirt in front of him.

After a few steps, Sanryo looked back at Yuuhi. "What was his problem?" He pondered his answer for a minute, and let out a sigh. "Oh well, back to square one again…"

Under some bushes, someone had a very different reaction to the incident.

"Kaiba, you had _better_ not say a _**single**_ word."

"I wasn't…"

"And don't laugh maniacally either!"

"I wasn't about to... but thank you for giving me an idea."

* * *

Speaking of maniacal laughter…

"_Yeah! That's it! Get over here so I can cut you all into little pieces!" _A voice roared maniacally over the faint tapping of keyboard buttons.

In the Computer lab (which had no light on) a lone computer's monitor was shining in the darkness, the person in front of it was laughing, a chilling, haunting snigger rang through the room.

Kabuto fought down shivers as he tapped his friend on the shoulder. "Riku…you're starting to scare me…"

"Who _effin_' cares?" Riku replied, his eyes glued to the screen. "I've had two whole _effin_' months of _Ragnarok _Withdrawal, and nobody's gonna _effin' _stop me!"

Kabuto slapped himself in the face. "Aww man…you're obsessed…"

"And besides, this even has online _Soul Caliber_ on it!"

At this, Kabuto's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so?"

He quickly started up the computer next to Riku's and began to play, the same fervor in his eyes that Riku had.

* * *

Principal Kageyama watched from the faculty room window, smiling slightly.

"Look at them all down there…and then in another four years, I'll see a whole new crowd of faces…" He said to himself.

Then, a knock on his door aroused him from his thoughts. He turned around to see a couple of his faculty employees enter the room.

"So, what's the talk of the corridors?" Kageyama asked.

"It's still the same as last year, The World Cyber Games and the disappearance of 'The Titan'." One said, pushing up his gold-frame glasses.

"Ah, I see. By the way, you two wouldn't know what they are now would you?"

"I know about the WCG." The other replied matter-of-factly. "It's kind of like the Olympics of Video Games, only it's held every year, and it has four categories."

"And they are…?"

"PVP, MROG, RTS and DBR."

Kageyama stared at him. "What?"

"PVP means 'Player versus Player' which usually includes Fighter games like Soul Caliber, Tekken, Mortal Combat, etc."

"Ah, and the other three?"

The other one spoke this time.

"MROG stands for 'Multiplayer Role-play Online Games'. It usually has those games designed to allow players from all around the world to play in a sort of RPG universe. The most popular Online Game, Ragnarok, falls here."

"RTS, or 'Real Time Strategy' deals with games that require massive amounts of tactical evaluation. You have to raise a military army, and plan out an assault on your opponents. Warcraft, Battle Realms, Generals, Etc."

Kageyama moved around his desk, holding his chin in his mouth. "I'm beginning to understand this now…but what's DBR?"

The two teachers looked to each other and smiled. "DBR? That's the most watched part of the World Cyber Games: The 'Duel Battle Royale'."

"Duel Battle Royale?"

"A descendant of the old game of 'Duel Monsters', It pretty much has the same rules as the game, but in Battle Royale, the objective is to deactivate the opponents Disk."

"Sounds interesting."

"It is. You can have any amount of monsters on the field, as long as the disk can handle it. When your monster is attacked, it takes out a chunk of the Disk's power supply. To many monsters get smashed, the disk shuts down. The monsters can dodge attacks, but that leads to a risk of the player getting attacked directly, just one direct attack from any monster, means the disk shuts down."

The second teacher looked to Kageyama's desk. "What's that?"

"It's an invitation from the CGA."

"The Cyber Games Association?"

"One and only, they want the schools around the world to select four students to participate in this year's Cyber Games. Rather than embarrassing myself and telling them I had no idea what the WCG was, I told them I would participate if I found worthy representatives."

The two teachers again looked to each other and nodded. "I think we know the four."

They opened the student files on Kageyama's computer and pulled up four names.

"Oh my…I'll think about it…"

He looked to the two teachers. "Haga…Ryuzaki…you two never cease to amaze me…"

* * *

**Happy Halloween people! Treats in it for you if you review!**


	8. Collision Course

**Heyo people! I don't own anything except ma boys, got it!**

**Greetings, faithful readers! Here's my new update! **

**But first a few reminders:**

**Everyone who's read my stuff knows of my all time biggest fanfic: 'Chaos, Thy Name is Chibi', or CTNIC for short. As stated before, I will update it again on its second anniversary. So far, 2 people told me to continue from where I left off, 1 told me to start anew, and 2 told me it's up to me to decide. If you want me to do any of the three choices, please tell me soon. PM me, put in a review in CTNIC, whatever, just tell me what you wanna happen!**

**That is all, onto the story…oh yeah, last minute note: Starting with this one, all chapters will now have titles. Why? This is the official start of the 'Heirs to the Throne' storyline.**

**

* * *

**

_Tum…tum…tum…tum!_

Dismissed…at…last!

I thought I'd never hear that bell ring. I sat up from my nice, long nap under the tree of my spot, feeling really relaxed and refreshed. Moving out of my spot, I saw most of the other students moving towards the gate. From them, I spotted that one student that sent me crashing into the dirt. A definite rich brat: prim and proper uniform, leather bag, laptop, cell phone…

I think I felt my eye twitch. Whatever, I don't care for him anyway; I got something else on my mind…

From behind the Gym, I crept into some bushes and under a few tree branches. No one, not even most of the teachers and staff here, know of this place. Me, on the other hand, I practically lived in this place, so I know every nook, every cranny, and every hiding place of illegal items this place has to offer. _This _particular place is an old abandoned shed and unknown rusty back gate.

Checking if the coast is clear, I tumbled out of the overgrown foliage into the clearing with the old shed. The structure must've seen better days. It looked like it could fall if a leaf fell on the roof. The gate nearby fared a little better, it hung limply by the upper hinge, the lower half of the rusted, chain link gate creaking freely in the breeze.

I thrust the door to the shed wide open, letting it slam against the wall. I stepped inside, and after another look around, closed the door.

Inside, there was a large object hidden under a large beige tarp. All around it, small cans of polish, bottles of oil, assorted tools, a few mechanic magazines, and countless discarded soft drink bottles that have been crushed.

Yep, you guys guessed it. This place is my little 'home away from home'. Nobody has ever seen this little place except me. Here, no one's gonna tell me whatever I have to do and whenever I have to do it. Also…this place hides my greatest treasure I could ever have…

* * *

"_Will you need the limousine, Master Ryo?_" 

"Isono…"

"…_or perhaps you would like me to pick you up on the helicopter…_"

"Isono…"

"_I have heard that your father has suggested that you go to the office after school, maybe I should drop you off there…"_

"_Isono!_"

"_I'm sorry, Master Ryo…were you saying something?_"

"One: No, I don't need the limousine, just a regular car will do. Two, taking a helicopter would be too ridiculous. Three, I have declined that suggestion a lot of times now. Father will just have to wait until college is over for me to think of taking over the company now. And lastly…"

Sanryo took a breath.

"_What was the last thing, Master Ryo?_"

"How many times do I _have_ to tell you to _please_ not add _**any**_ kind of title to my name? Just plain, simple 'Ryo'."

"_Yes, sir."_

"Okay, _now_ that's just to annoy me."

Sanryo rolled his eyes and flipped his cell phone shut. '_Same old Isono…'_

Same as usual, I fished out the headset from my bag and attached it to my phone. Afterwards, I collected my things and set off down the sidewalk, letting the first song in my play list flood my ears.

"…_How will I know if there's a path worth takin'? Should I question every move I make…? I thought I lost my heart, it's breakin'! I don't wanna make the same mistake..."_

I listened to the song carefully as I passed by a long line of shops. For some reason, I can always find the exact way I feel within lyrics. I had conducted a simple experiment to see if my father could do so as well...and of course, he was too absorbed with work to even notice that his stereo was playing. I stopped walking and looked at the shop window. It turned out to be a game store, with a beautiful model of the latest V-disk for Duel Battle Royale in its window, an assortment of elementary students gathered in front of it, gawking and drooling at the sight. I shook my head and kept moving.

My father, at first, wanted me to play that game. Personally, I didn't like it. While the game itself is intriguing, I had no desire to play. _Warcraft _had captured my attention then, and it still has it now. Sadly, Father never agreed with anything I decided with. He insisted that I knew the game rules, strategies, and everything about it by heart. I do, but his insistence didn't make me enjoy the game any more.

_"(Did you ever…) Doubt your dream will ever come true?_

_(Did you ever…) Blame the world but never blame you?_

_(I will never…) Try to live a lie again!_

_I don't wanna play this game if I can't play it my way!"_

Once again, the lyrics have my feelings down to a T. Why can't my father see that I am not him? Why can't he let me decide for myself? I'm not 10 years old anymore…

"Hey there, Ryo!"

I stopped and looked up. I was directly in front of a small café, with a meager amount of people inside.

"What's up Ryo? Head in the clouds again?"

I smiled and turned off the MP3 function of my phone. "What do you mean 'in the clouds'?" I retorted.

Ayumi smirked at me. "Of course, I forgot! Japan's—Oh wait, it was upgraded—_Asia's _most eligible bachelor has a right to waltz around thinking about the lines of fan girls queuing up just to kiss the ground he walks on, but then it would be _his_ fault if he was run over by a dump truck!"

Ayumi was a waitress at this café, which is one of my favorite hangout spots. It wasn't too hot, the food they have wasn't too bad, and best of all…

It's nowhere _near_ _**any**_ of Father's usual routes, meaning I am free to stay as long as I please.

"The usual then, Ryo?" Ayumi asked me as I sat down at my usual table, under the large, dark green umbrella just in front of the café. Why under the umbrella? Father seems to prefer going to the office via helicopter.

"What else?" I took out my laptop as Ayumi left, her long bright orange hair bouncing as she walked. She's been working here for a while now, and I've gotten to know her very well.

Oh, I forgot, another reason why I like it here: The Wifi reception here is _impeccable_.

I opened up my laptop and noticed that I had received an online challenge from my usual opponent in Online _Warcraft_:_ ThunderLordOmega_.

_How goes your new school year? _He asked along with the invitation.

_Typical, High School is not at all different from Junior High. _I replied back, accepting the challenge and starting my five virtual peasants on working in the mines.

_Except of course, the amount of pretty 'lay-dayz' around… _

I commanded two peasants to start creating a barracks. _That would be for you, Omega…all you think about is women and who to date this week._

_Doesn't anyone? _

I was about to reply when he typed another message.

_Where are you by the way? Those peasants of yours are moving awfully fast… _

Looking to the map, I noticed an Observatory tower close to a gold mine in the far right corner. '_Got you…_'

_I'm at my usual café. _The barracks was done, so I started to create a few soldiers.

"Hey Ryo. Here's your order: one White Chocolate Frappuccino with two blueberries…and I think your driver's here…"

I looked up from my laptop to see Isono standing in front of a pure white car.

"Get goin', superstar…"

"Shut up, Ayumi…"

I hastily typed a short explanation and a goodbye to Omega and shut my laptop.

"Ryo, your father said that he was coming home earlier than usual…" He told me as he took my bag.

"Why this time?"

"Something about a proposal to be dealt with…"

I shut the door and took the keys from him. '_What kind of proposal needs him to be home?_'

I shook my head and started the car up. Whatever it is, it doesn't concern me…even if it does…He's just going to command me again, so I can't really stop him…

* * *

"Kabuto! Hey, Kabuto, the bell just rang!" 

Said blond looked up from the computer screen.

"And you say _I_ have computer withdrawal…" Riku retorted with a smile.

Kabuto shut down the _Warcraft _program he was playing as he saw his online opponent, _InternalPrisoner_, cut their game short. He was very new to the game, but he had found a veteran player to help him along. '_Hey, my dad's luck had to go __**somewhere**__, didn't it?_' He thought to himself with a smirk.

"And you do…" He replied to Riku. "But don't worry; I think I can earn enough for some Rehab…"

Riku lightly slapped his friend upside the head.

As they walked down the hall, the rest of the school seemed empty, watching as the sun began to set.

Just as the two boys stepped out of the front doors, Kabuto snapped his fingers, turned around, and rushed back into the school.

"Forgot my bag in one of the classrooms! Head for the arcade and wait for me there, Riku!"

The white-haired teen rolled his eyes and watched his friend race up the stairs. "Hurry up or else the place will close before you get there!" He called after him.

* * *

"The future is a lot less weird when Ishizu gives a really vague explanation to it…" 

"I concur…"

Jonouchi and Yuugi were looking out the window of their classroom, marveling at how much things have changed. It had a new paint job; the dreary walls now painted a healthy, sleek metallic color, the chairs were also made of metal, as opposed to the wooden chairs they were used to. Each of the tables had two chairs, with a computer on each end, and the old wood shelves were replaced by sleek steel ones.

"Our classroom looks a lot better now than it did before…" Ryou commented, looking around at the air conditioning units connected to either end of the classroom.

Seto took his usual seat at the end of the classroom and crossed his arms. "Students in this future are dismally pampered…" he muttered.

"Oh, like you?" Jou asked in retaliation.

Then, Yuugi hushed them. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone silenced to hear a rapid thump of hasty footsteps.

"Someone's coming! Hide!"

Everyone found a suitable hiding place. They waited with bated breath as they heard the footsteps get louder and more hastened, and heard the tell tale skid of rubber sneakers against tile floor.

"Okay, this is the last classroom I checked…my bag's gotta be here somewhere!"

The voice seemed unfamiliar to those hiding…except Jou.

'_That's Kabuto!_'

The footsteps came closer to the teacher's table and stopped. "Now where did I leave that thing?"

Jou held his breath but suddenly, an ample amount of dust entered his nostrils. His throat began to itch, but he had to fight it.

"Come on…"

'_I really gotta sneeze…_'

"There it is!"

'_Can't…fight it…_'

The footsteps moved away, and the itch in his throat was becoming unbearable.

The sound of a hoisted bag came to Jou's ears, and the footsteps started to get weaker and weaker…in fact, the footsteps would stop in 5 seconds.

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

"_Atchoo!_"

"Huh? Is someone there…?"

* * *

**Hope you guys like my latest update! C'ya on the update of CTNIC! And please leave reviews!!!**


	9. Minutes to Midnight

**I own my characters and the plot.**

**Greetings people who read this fic! Getting ready for the long awaited update of CTNIC I guess? Well, just lemme tell ya now…There's a little snag. Nothing major, it's just that one anime I thought was long finished, crawled back into my favorite list…Yep. The latest craze going on in my head is Rurouni Kenshin, also known as Samurai X. I knew it, I watched it, but it's made a blasting comeback into my life. Right now, all I can think about are Samurai X characters.**

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* * *

**Unlike what people might think of me, I am not dumb. I know for a fact that blond hair raises an automatic speculation that the person's intelligence is below that of an average person. I know for a fact that a person like me comes off as not that smart. In grade school, all of the other kids were hooked on those American cartoons. And it's very rare you see someone blond that's not as dumb as a squid…and squids need their food to pass through their brains for it to be digested. 

…it's even worse when I found out about my little 'eye condition.'

Back then, you need an extremely expensive surgery to cure it, or so my father says…nowadays, you could just take a few pills and wear glasses for the next 10 years or so. The doctors say it's slow and painless…

…it is, physically.

Beginning from Junior High, because of the glasses, along with the blond hair, people thought I was some sort of pristine, American transfer who was trying to hide the fact that he can't do even basic mathematics.

But then again, even a moron would know that a table cannot, under any circumstance, sneeze.

"Who's in here…?" I called out.

Looking around, I saw signs of things moved in recent times. The chair on the far edge of the room was tilted to the right slightly, meaning someone sat there recently. The window opposite the door had smudges on the glass, as opposed to the others, virtually see through.

"I know someone's in here!" I called out again.

No luck.

Just then, I heard something shifting inside the broom closet next to the rear of the room. Then it hit me.

'_This is __**High School**__.' _

"Sorry about that…" I called out, backing away. "Hope you get a good score…"

Then I turned and left, blushing.

* * *

"What did he mean by '_get a good score_'?" Ryou asked, emerging from the closet after a few minutes of waiting.

Jou came out of his hiding place under the table, his hand clapped over his mouth to muffle the loud sniggers coming from it. "You mean you don't know?" He managed to say with a straight face.

Yuugi moved out from behind a bookshelf, grinning slightly. "He's definitely yours, Jonouchi."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Seto chose this moment to make his voice heard from behind the wide open door of the classroom. "It means that 'a mutt is as much of a mutt as his father is'. Wait a moment, let me correct myself: A mutt is only _half _of a mutt that its father was."

"Get your over-pampered butt over here so I can kick it even _further _into the future!"

Just then, Atemu seemed to just appear directly in between them. "_Now is not the time to renew long standing rivalry._" He half-commanded, yet even with a semi-divine intervention, nothing happened.

Even with all the commotion going on, there was still one sound that rang over all the other noises and put them to shame…

…the sound of a revving motor outside.

"What's that?"

Everyone moved towards the window and there, they had their answer.

Yuuhi had stayed behind and made sure everyone was gone, and disappeared…only to come back with a beautiful, sleek, pitch-black and gleaming-silver motorcycle from somewhere in the school.

The five watched in awe as Yuuhi kicked the engine to life, and drove it away.

* * *

I revved up my bike, _Black Blaze_, and drove out of the school. I hid it there because the place I live in right now isn't exactly secure. I turned and rounded the corner, and spotted a few guards enjoying their donuts and glaring at me. Hehe, they've wanted to bust me for something in a long time…never have. It's like that song…

'_They see me rollin'…they hatin'…patrollin' and tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty…_'

I let out a chuckle and turned at the next detour. I was always cutting across the back alleys, avoiding sight by anyone on the streets. Who knew…my dad might be on patrol as well…looking for me.

Right now, I have someone to see…

* * *

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

The bell rang and countless children, wearing both blue and yellow smocks stormed out of the building, into the awaiting arms of their beloved parents. Some asking for sweet candies or asking to stay at their friend's place, but one small girl, one wearing a particularly cute pink hat along with her yellow smock, which accented her shoulder length yellow streaked black hair, was weaving her way opposite the crowd, making her way to the almost deserted back gate. She ducked and sidestepped countless other kids and slowly but surely she made it.

No one could see her clearly in that position, but that's what she wanted.

She waited, and soon enough, the sound of a motor roared and tires were heard screeching to a stop nearby the gate. She trotted out to see Yuuhi kicking out the stand and getting off the bike.

"_Niki!_" She called happily.

"Yo, wazzup pipsqueak?"

"Nothin'!" The girl replied, smiling toothily. "I missed you a lot."

"So did I…"

"How was first day?"

"Really fun!" She took off her hat and giggled. "My new teacher is really nice! She even let us play the whole day!"

"Guess you're enjoying yourself."

There was a pause. Yuuhi was looking up the street, arms crossed and leaning against the motorbike. The girl was sitting on the sidewalk, absently spinning her hat in her hand.

"Why won't you come back, _niki_?"

"I told you…I have something to do."

Just then, the sound of a call pulling up somewhere reached them.

"Yuuki, where are you? Yuukimiru, answer me!" A man's voice called out.

"Get going." Yuuhi instructed, mounting his bike again. Yuukimiru put on her hat again and trotted toward the gate again. Before she entered, she looked back at Yuuhi.

"Come back soon, okay _niki_?"

"I'll try."

She disappeared through the gate, and Yuuhi kicked the engine to life.

'_I wish I could, Yuuki…but I can't go back until I figure out a few things in life…_'

He reached for a helmet tied down to the back of the bike, donned it, and roared out onto the streets again.

* * *

"Well, I think the coast is finally clear…"

Jou cautiously looked out the window of a classroom. The sun was completely set, the sky was beginning to turn a beautiful dark purple hue, and the cars outside the campus were now to a bare minimum.

"Let's get out of here and look for everyone else…"

As the five walked out the front doors, a sound alerted their attention to the main gates. Five or so menacing looking thugs, wearing a different uniform than the ones of Domino High, vaulted over the closed gates.

"…are you sure this is his school, boss?" Asked one thug. "This place has a rep of teaching wimpy students."

"Positive." Replied another thug, apparently their boss, wearing a red bandanna over his head, and blue tinted shades over his eyes. "The others may be wimps, but he's a completely different story."

"But Aoishi…isn't he like the toughest punk in the district?" Asked a cowardly third thug, the hands holding a large plank of wood trembling.

"We're not gonna beat him up." The bandanna-wearing one, Aoishi, reprimanded. "Word on the street says he's also got this sweet bike that's worth a lot of cash."

"I heard of that one…the _Black Blaze_, he calls it."

"Hence why we're gonna swipe it and sell it."

While they were watching, Yuugi was hiding under Jonouchi, when he sacredly stepped back, he had stepped on Jou's foot, making said blond yelp, causing Yuugi to fall forward into the line of view of the thugs.

"I think that's him!" Yelled one of the thugs in fright. They doubled back frantically, but Aoishi called their attention.

"That isn't Yuuhi Mutou, you idiots! Look he's wearing both sleeves! It's a poser!"

Hearing that news, all five thugs broke out in a dead run, leaving Yuuhi scrambling to get away. Jonouchi went to help him, but Atemu caught him by the shoulder.

"_Don't make yourself known and blow your cover._"

"What do we do then?" Jou retorted hotly, throwing away the ancient king's hand. "Sit back and enjoy the show?"

They watched as Yuugi got cornered in the Gym, next to the back doorway.

"You shouldn't have scared us like that, pretending you were that 'Mutou' guy." Taunted one thug.

"You know what we do to posers like you?" Aoishi asked…inching his way closer…

Just then, a revving was heard from outside, and the two front doors banged open, letting in a large black blur into the Gym. The blur turned with a loud screech, and stopped behind the five thugs and Yuugi, the former shivering with fear.

"That's the _Black Blaze_!"

"That means…"

"There's only one rider…"

The rider took off his helmet. "Well…well…well. Aoishi, we meet again." Yuuhi greeted with a wicked smirk. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

"Darn it…let's bolt!"

The five intruders turned tail and ran out of the Gym, leaving both Mutous in the large building alone.

Yuugi let out a breath, got up, and walked over to Yuuhi. "Thank you so much…"

But when he got to close, in a flash, Yuuhi grabbed Yuugi by the collar, hoisted him up so much that he was a foot off the floor, and squeezed his right hard slightly.

"Now that the morons are done with. I have to deal with you, you _damn_ poser…" Yuuhi hissed angrily. "Care to tell me _why_ you're going around looking like me?"

Jou couldn't take it anymore. He sprang from his position and tackled Yuuhi with his shoulder. "Hands off my friend!" He growled. Yuugi fell hit the floor, causing his deck box to come open and spilling a few of his cards.

Yuuhi hit the ground and tumbled a few feet before coming to a stop. He got up, wiped away the blood from his cut lip and looked at the two of them. He scanned both of their faces, before his dark purple eyes came to rest at a particular card that was lying there next to Yuugi, as plain as day.

The Dark Magician.

He stared at that card for a while. And looked up at Yuugi. "That's a one of a kind card you have there…it's supposed to belong to someone, and it's not you."

Yuugi took the card and slipped it into his pocket, taking in a breath. "I know I may be ripping off a movie, I just know that, but there's no other way to say it."

He took a few steps forward and came face to face with Yuuhi, who surprisingly, didn't have his father's height of five feet on the dot. Yuugi had to look up at his son, who was sternly looking down at him.

"Your father is the only person who owns this, and I have it, because I am your father."

* * *

**Woot! Only a few more days 'till CTNIC update! So send in some reviews please! The more the better!**


	10. Animal I Have Become

**DO NOT OWN!**

**No I have not forgotten…it's been eating away at me if you didn't know…yes I have said that CTNIC would be updated on it's anniversary…yes I said that I should not keep you waiting any longer…but recently I have been invited to the National Tournament to be held on December 9****th****. And I have been working hard to keep up my A-game for it. You might think that I'm already good at it, since I got an invite. Well let me tell you, it's not what you think. I got invited because **_**I am the only girl in our Division**_**. All of the others are **_**SCARY**_** good. I just want to be deserving of the invite…don't worry…it will be up soon…this I promise you.**

**

* * *

**Silence…people think it's peace…it's serene. 

Others think it can drive a man crazy…

…it can eat away at you from the inside.

Right now…

…what it is doing is giving heat…

…Heat that is boiling a young man's anger.

"_Shut up_." Yuuhi growled at the much shorter Yuugi. Said duelist recoiled at the tone the former used. It was of utmost hatred…not unlike what he would hear from the likes of Dartz or Bakura a long time ago…

He turned around and started to walk back to his bike. "It's bad enough you're going around posing as me…then you're spitting out some nonsense bull about yourself…" He spat, looking over his shoulder.

Before he got there, he was stopped by Jou. "Don't you dare talk to Yuugi like that!"

Yuuhi looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm going to take orders from you?"

Jou balled his hands and glared at him. "The fact that I can pound you into the ground so much I might as well put a tombstone over the hole!"

The pony-tailed Mutou turned around and faced him fully, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see you try…" he breathed, glaring at Jou so hard his eyes appeared to flash red.

The two circled each other, their breath heavy, their eyes locked on to their targets…like two predators fighting for superiority…

"_Enough!_"

Atemu burst forth between them, raising his hands and turning his back to Jou.

"_Please, I beg of you Armon! Stop this madness!" _

Yuuhi stopped and looked at Atemu. Almost identical sets of dark purple eyes stared into each other. A long silence followed, as if accenting the gravity of the situation.

Yuuhi finally looked away from the spirit King, and looked over Atemu's shoulder to Yuugi and Jou.

They saw Yuuhi relax his shoulders and let out a breath. "Start." He said simply.

Yuugi was thrown off by the sudden question. "What?"

"Start explaining. There has to be some truth to all this crap if a spirit says so." Yuuhi stated, glancing at Atemu with an annoyed expression.

"What the…you _know _Atemu is a spirit…?"

Yuuhi tapped his forehead and shrugged. "Third eye's wide open…for some annoying reason…"

Everyone looked on in shock. "But…"

"Oh yeah…" Yuuhi jerked his thumb to the doors of the gym, which, since the sun has just set, made it almost impossible to see it clearly. "Tell the two over there to stop hiding and get their butts in here…"

Ryou came out sheepishly. "Was it that obvious…?"

Yuuhi jerked his head upward. "Knew you guys were there a long while ago…even when you were spying on me the whole day. I just figured you would keep your _damn _distance."

Seto, who had chose to remain close to the doors, scoffed and muttered audibly, "Impressive…for a shrimp."

"Do you want a face full of fist, you stick-thin prick?" Yuuhi threatened, his right fist clenched tight.

"So what? You can only punch with your right arm, since your left is gravely injured."

Yuuhi recoiled so much you would think Seto punched him. Both Yuugi and Atemu could see the grave shock in his plum purple eyes. The former looked to Seto with confusion, perplexed at the accusation. "What do you mean his arm is injured…?"

"It was obvious…when he and Sanryo were fighting, I noticed when Sanryo grabbed his left arm to position himself for the arm lock, Yuuhi started to wince, and continued to until he let go. A normal person would not feel that much pain from someone grabbing your arm."

Yuuhi's only reply was a low growl, and lightly holding his left arm with his right hand, as if covering it.

"…Is that true…?" Yuugi asked.

Knowing he was surrounded, and the fact that Jou and Atemu were blocking his way to _Black Blaze_, Yuuhi looked down in defeat, and let out a sigh. After a while, he slowly slid the left sleeve of his jacket off, and let it fall to the floor.

Everyone gasped.

From the sleeve of his black T-shirt, all the way down to his wrist, numerous thick stitches ran down his arm. Some crossed each other, some as short as a toothpick, others ran down the entire length of his arm, but all in all, it looked more like an appendage of the Frankenstein Monster.

Atemu was the most shocked out of all of them. '_Armon…_' He thought, realizing that if Yuuhi had this much scarring, his past must have had even worse so. '_Armon…how could something like this happen to you…?_'

"Yuuhi…what…what _happened_ to you?" Yuugi finally managed to ask.

"Find out for yourself…" Yuuhi spat, glaring at him. "If, by some unexplainable turn of events, you really are my father, it gives me all the more reason for me not to tell you!"

He started forward, pushing past Jou, and hopped onto _Black Blaze_.

"But Yuuhi…isn't there any way we can help you…?" Yuugi asked, before he started to kick the engine to life.

"Just know this…'_Yuugi_'." He said, saying the last word with utmost loathing. "Remember these lyrics, and remember them well: _'So what if you can see…the darker side of me…no one can ever chain this animal I have become'."_

With that said, he started his bike and drove it out, leaving a dumbstruck audience behind.

* * *

After a while, he had wound up in the park again, along the walk facing the bay. The moon was a complete orb, shining radiantly onto the still, sparking ocean. He had found a bench, killed the engine and sat down on it.

He looked up at the sky, and stared at the moon, softly singing a song to himself.

"_So what if you can see….the darker side of me? No one can ever chain this animal I have become!"_

He took a breath, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his plum purple orbs were not as hard and sharp as they used to be…they had softened…and they seemed so…sad…

"_Help me believe…it's not the real me…somebody help me tame this animal I have become! Somebody get me through this nightmare…I can't control myself…somebody wake me from this nightmare…_"

* * *

**Happy early birthday to you Joanna! Wish me luck for the National Tournament, guys!**


	11. Perfect

**Any and All characters not mentioned in the original YGO series are copyrighted to me.**

**

* * *

****Berlin, Germany **

The roads were clogged up.

The offices were closed down.

The people were racing towards the airport.

Why?

It was just to see their pride and joy, their 'radiant jewel' off to Japan…

"Ms. Vivianni, look this way please!"

"Over here, Ms Vivianni!"

"Smile for me, Ms Vivianni!"

Like marching black ants over a sweet honey puddle, the paparazzi swarmed, hovered, and crowded over her, hoping to catch a very valuable snapshot of the German runway model, beauty queen, and pampered heiress known as Ms. Vivianni. She smiled gently, pushing up her rose-tinted shades, causing the camera flashes to seemingly double in number and speed. The two bodyguards around her tensed up their muscles in response to the endless lines of love struck fans leaning over the velvet fences and poking through the holes the riot squad left.

"Ms. Vivianni, we love you!"

"Autographs please, Ms Vivianni!"

"Marry me for the love of _gott_!" (God in German…I think)

Ms Vivianni giggled at the last comment, tossing one stray bubblegum-pink strand of hair from her shoulder.

She reached the stairs leading to the private airplane, and fingered the Rose Emblem near the doorway for one final photo-shoot.

"Beautiful, hold that pose Ms. Vivianni!"

"Smile for me, beautiful!"

While she was playing for the cameras, one man came just into view from the shadows of the doorway.

"Vivianni, inside."

She looked to him and turned back to the audience. "_Auf Wiedershen, _everyone! Do not worry, I will be back soon!" (Goodbye in German…WTF is with the spelling?)

The two bodyguards closed the door, and she flipped her waist-length bubblegum-pink hair over her shoulder again. "_Vater_, come now…there is no need to be so uptight!" (Father in German)

"You know why I'm uptight, Vivianni…" Her father retorted sharply, setting down a tulip-shaped wine glass on a nearby glass table.

"Yes, _vater, _I know of all of your stories of how some Japanese company stole you precious research." Vivianni drawled, rolling her bright, round, pink eyes, crossing her slender legs and adjusting her knee length red skirt.

"Then of course you know how I despise that country."

Vivianni picked up a thin, slender glass and poured some lemonade into it, took a sip and set it down. "It is just for three days, _vater_; surely you can stand that…"

"He will be there Vivianni. Along with whatever _runty spawn _of a _brat_ he might have gotten in the years…"

"You never mentioned his name to me; let alone what he looks like…"

"I pray that you will never need to know, my little _Taube_." (Dove in German)

* * *

Sanryo reached the wide front doors, pushed them open slowly, and strode in, unplugging the earphones and pocketing his cell phone. 

"Sanryo." A voice called from inside the large living room.

'_And here we go…_' The brunet teen thought with a groan. He straightened out his uniform, dusted himself off, and entered the room.

"Why are you home early?" He asked, his face abnormally passive, his eyes gave of a very reminiscent cold feeling.

The living room was dim, except for the large fireplace, crackling happily and sending a warm orange glow everywhere. Directly in front of the said fireplace was a large, royal blue wingback chair facing the left…and in it was a man, looking down at something in his lap.

"I have a meeting tomorrow. I need you to come with me this time. No excuses, no rain checks."

"_No choice…_" Sanryo muttered under his breath.

"What was that Sanryo?"

"_Betsuni, chichioya-sama." _(1)

"That's what I thought…"

With that said, Sanryo left the room.

As soon as he got to his room, he tossed his phone lightly on his bed, got his blue guitar, and sat down on the window sill, tuning it.

After a while of tuning, strumming, and belting out a few chords, a knock came on his door.

"Ryo…I have something for you…" Isono's voice chimed softly through the wood.

"What is it?"

"I believe it's a letter from your principal, Mr. Kageyama."

"Wha? It's only the first day and now I have a summon from the principal. What else can go wrong…?"

* * *

"Riku!" 

"Riku!"

"Just a minute!"

Riku took off his headset and looked up from the computer screen.

"Riku I need to talk to you about this!"

Said teen's eyes widened. '_Dad never sounds this angry…_' He bolted up from the computer chair, which was sent spiraling into a nearby wall, and headed for the door to his room. When he opened it, he was greeted by a foot-taller, fuming figure wearing a loose black suit and dark grey inner shirt.

"Riku! What's this letter from the principal doing in the mail?" The older man asked angrily, staring down Riku so badly that he was hastily inching away from him.

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Riku retaliated.

'_This time…_' He added mentally.

"Well then, tell me why your principal is asking for you to come to his office first thing tomorrow?"

Riku stared at him, perplexed. "Wha? I didn't do anything that'd deserve that!"

'_Well…unless they can pin me for cyber-terrorism…Hooray for Cyber Terrorism!' _(Thank you abridged series!)

The older man looked down at him, huffed, and turned around. "That had better be true Riku…you don't want me to cut off your internet access again, now do you?"

"_Anything but that!_" Riku pleaded, literally going on his hands and knees at the man's feet.

'_Yeah right, I can just 'haxxor' my way into the Wi-Fi network…_' He added with a grin.

"Good. Good night then Riku…"

"G'night."

'_Now…where was I…oh yeah…slashing my way to victory…yet again!_'

* * *

"It's night time already?" 

"How are we going to go back?"

"_Do not worry…they don't even know you are gone…_"

Yuugi and Ryou looked back to Atemu, Jou looked up from examining the street across the school from the window and Seto's attention snapped to him. Beyond all that, the latter spoke first.

"What do you mean by that?" Seto breathed threateningly.

"_When you four met up with me, time when you left has stopped cold. When you return, time will resume…as if you had never left_."

The next sentence sounded strained…controlled…or to be more precise…_chained_.

"You…had…_better_…be…sure…"

Just as the battle began to escalate even further, the familiar roar of a motorcycle engine boomed into their hearing range and stopped in the open gym doors.

There, outside, sitting on _Black Blaze_, Yuuhi took off his helmet, cocked his hair back, and looked to them. "Look…I think it's obvious you're not gonna get away until I hear you guys out, so come on, I'm takin' you guys back to my place."

With that, he replaced his helmet, and turned his bike around, but drove off slowly at a walking pace.

"You guys coming?"

* * *

**(1) Betsuni means 'Nothing'; Chichioya is the most formal way of saying 'father'. It's the kind that princes from Japan use to address their father, the Emperor. Add the honorific '-sama' (master) to it, and you have something that kinda means 'Respected Father.'**

**Merry Christmas to all you guys there! Send in reviews please!**


	12. Let's get it started

**You guys know the drill!**

**Christmas is already gone, so there's only one thing to say: Happy New Year and Good Luck for 2008!**

**

* * *

**_It was so dark…_

_Not even the brightest of lights could save me from this darkness consuming me._

_Not that they could._

_I have been cursed…cursed because of my foolishness. _

_Cursed because I drove away my only salvation, my beacon of hope…_

…_my saving light._

_What…a stairway? I could see pure rectangular light shining in front of me. I tried to get up._

_It was no use._

_I looked down at my arms…chained._

_A prisoner to my own sins…_

_Hm? There's someone walking up the stairs. I could only see a shadow, silhouettes of a long flowing cape, a concealing hood…_

_What horrified me was what I saw in the distance, a little inkling made completely clear…of a man holding a giant axe._

"_Wait!" I cried, straining against my bounds. "He will kill you!" My voice was strained, not just because I was physically straining against metal, but mentally fighting back tears._

_The other looked to me. I could see the lower half of his face; his long cloak billowed softly behind him. I did not want to break down…to show him I was weak…but the pain was too much for me._

_He knelt down in front of me, and smiled gently. _

"_My time has come…" He told me softly. "Please, forget all the wrongs I have done to this land, to these people…especially to you. Help me leave behind reasons for me to be missed."_

_He stood up again and walked up the steps, at the final one before entering the light, he turned back to me. From here I could see the luxurious golden crown on his head. His dark purple eyes were unfocused, yet he had a confident smile on his features._

"_Do not resent me. Leave me in your memories, leave out all the rest."_

_

* * *

_I opened my eyes. 

Seeing the crowded, dingy little room we were all in, I looked around. Everyone was fast asleep.

At least…everyone I could see.

I saw a shadow on the wall near the fire escape. Navigating my way to it, I saw Yuuhi leaning on the rail, looking out at the midnight cityscape. His face looked passive, his eyes unfocused in thought. I looked at him from my hiding place. It pained me to look at him, but I cannot turn away.

My eyes wandered over to his left arm, hidden under his jacket sleeve. Come to think of it, Armon wore his cloak in a similar way: draped over his left arm.

Not even I knew of this. How did he come to have such a crippling injury…? How did his arm receive all those scars?

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

I snapped to this reality to see Yuuhi looking at me, his face back to its usual scowl. Dark purple eyes scanned me over, I just looked at him.

"_Armon…_" I whispered.

"Who is this 'Armon' guy, anyway?" Yuuhi asked me.

I looked down. Could I answer him? _Should _I answer him…?

"You don't have to answer if it hurts you…"

I sighed a little. I looked to his right hand, and saw an opened envelope. Seeing my reaction, Yuuhi lifted it up and gave it to me. "It's a letter from Kageyama." He said. "My principal. He wants a meeting tomorrow." He rolled his eyes and leaned on the railing again, closing his eyes as he felt a soft breeze caress his face. "…probably to yell at me again cause of what happened today with that idiot, Kaminari."

I said nothing.

Then, I heard him get off the creaky railing. "I'm hitting the sack." He moved past me and stepped inside.

Taking his spot on the rail, I looked up at the stars in the sky. Pitch black.

"_The Sky is as dark as his life…harsh, unforgiving…_"

* * *

The sun rose next morning, and Yuuhi slipped past the rest, slowly closing the door in his wake.

'_Man, those guys are nuts…_' He thought as he strolled down the stairs towards _Black Blaze_. '_They think they can just march into my life and spout all that and expect me to believe it…_'

Kicking the engine to life, he drove the bike down the roads and back alleys to Othello Pier, taking the proverbial Scenic Route to school today. (1)

He stopped for a while and got off the bike, picking up a few rocks from the road and skipped them into the sea.

'_Yet…that one pipsqueak…he might be spouting some truth._'

He got back on the bike and sped off.

'_I'll deal with him later._'

* * *

"No way, you got a summon too?"

"Yep."

"What do you think it's about, though?"

Kabuto shrugged and looked around. It's half an hour until school starts and they've been going around in circles since sunrise looking for the principal's office to no avail. There were barely any people, even teachers in the hallways, and they had 2 more floors to search.

"I thought you were supposed to _avoid _the principal…not _look for_ him." Riku commented, folding his arms behind his head.

"That's what I thought too…"

They walked a little more and saw someone leaning on the wall near the stairwell, reading. It was a small, but thick pocketbook.

"Hey!"

The other person looked up; alarmed blue eyes scanned the area and landed on them.

"Hm?"

"Do you know where the Principal's office is…?"

Sanryo pointed up the stairs and closed his book. "It's on the top floor, but where I don't know. I was waiting for Mr. Kageyama to pass by."

"You got called too?"

Sanryo nodded. "Do you know what for?"

"Nope."

"Not a clue."

Sanryo placed his book in his bag as Kabuto and Riku started up the stairs, the former stopping in the middle and looking back to him. "Hey, haven't seen you around…freshman?"

"I am."

"The name's Kabuto."

Riku turned back after getting to the top. "I'm Riku. What do we call you then?"

Sanryo looked around at the walls. From what he could see, all the security cameras were shut off. Brushing away a few stray chocolate locks, he started up the steps as well. "Ryo…but my full name is Sanryo."

Kabuto cocked a brow. "That's a weird name."

"Tell me about it. I blame my father for it."

"Same here...why 'beetle'? Do I look like a beetle to you?"

Then, a new voice caught their attention.

"Glad you could make it. Now if you come with me to my office, I have something to discuss with you three."

They all looked up and saw Kageyama at the top of the stairs.

* * *

Sanryo, Kabuto and Riku took their seats as Kageyama moved behind his desk and took out four envelopes and placed them on his desk. The former looked out the large floor length window to see most of the students already filing in through the gate, among them, one on a motorcycle.

"Mr. Kageyama sir…" Riku started, looking very uneasy. "It's only the second day of classes…what did we do wrong…?"

The principal chuckled and took out a few folders from another desk drawer. "It's not what you did wrong, but what you did right…and what I want you to do…"

He placed the folders on the table next to the envelopes. "Now…I'm sure all you teenagers nowadays know of the World Cyber Games…"

The three students leaned in, interest streaking their faces. "Of course sir," Kabuto exclaimed. "It's the highest honored competition today!"

"Only the crème of the crop can be even worthy of entering." Riku added, the adrenalin of talking about it making him grin widely.

"The winner there would be considered a gaming God." Sanryo pointed out.

Kageyama smiled at their enthusiasm. "And I trust that's how you view the infamous 'Titan'?"

"Of course!" All three replied.

"Then please, enlighten me. I haven't heard of this person's story…"

The three students looked to each other, and Kabuto stood up. "Well, you see sir, it started four years ago...During one of the world cyber games, there was this one kid, he refused to show his face, and he went by the name of 'Taiyou-set'. He wore a baseball cap and shades. I think he was around 14…he was kind of the underdog, since most of his competitors were around 18-21."

"But he proved us wrong…dead wrong." Riku continued. "He smoked the competition so well he won the whole thing. And I _mean _the whole thing!"

"Excuse me?"

This was when Sanryo took his turn. "You see the World Cyber Games awards 5 champions, one for each category and one overall champion. Normally, the Overall Champion is one who does not necessarily does the best in all of the games, but accumulates the top score. Because the champion in one category might do poorly in another."

Then the turn went back to Kabuto. "Well anyway, this kid…he beat out everyone. He got top rank in all four of the categories. So everyone had no choice but to call him the Overall Champion."

Kageyama sat down on the desk and rested his head in his hand. "My, what an impressive boy…"

Riku nodded. "That isn't the best part of it. He did the same thing the next year. That was the first time in history someone won the Cyber Games two times in a row. And _then _he did the _same thing_ the year _after_ that!"

"But then, after the third year…he just vanished…without a single trace. The entire of the staff went looking for him, but it was like he was never around. So, the title of overall champion went to this year's WCG Champion."

"But, in memory of that three-time Champion, there was a new title to be added. Should someone as great as that come by again, the title of 'Titan' would be given."

Just then, the door slammed open, and there in the doorway stood Yuuhi, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his right foot raised in a stance saying he kicked the door.

"Hey, Kageyama." he snapped. "What's with the call this time?"

Mr. Kageyama smiled a little, unaffected by his disrespectful (and loud) entrance. "Yuuhi, just in time…"

Yuuhi strode into the office, glancing at the three other students before settling himself in the corner.

"You see…I was able to find some records on all of you…" He placed his hands on the folders on his desk, and placed one in front of Kabuto. "You were the one who set all of the top scores in the arcade, am I right?"

"Um…well…not all at once…" The accused said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

Another folder dropped in front of Riku. "You installed a total of 16 games into 300 computers during your stay in Junior High…"

Riku's eyes swiftly shifted before saying. "Hey, there were no viruses during installation, and those games were compressed so to save space!"

Another one was placed in front of Sanryo. "And you…you've been reported to have won repeated regional Warcraft Tournaments in the past 5 years."

Sanryo nodded. "Regional, but never national…no matter how much I wanted it…"

"Well, now may be your chance…for all of you to make it big."

He picked up the envelopes and fanned them out, so that the front half was shown completely. On the upper right corner, the letters W, C, and G, in bold, golden letters were shown in front of 4 circles, linked together like a chain.

Kabuto's breath got caught in his throat. "Is that…"

Riku gawked. "No way…"

Kageyama smirked. "It is boys…four invitations to this year's World Cyber Games: Team Edition."

He placed them on his desk, in front of them all. "They're for you, you see, the Cyber Games Association has decided to use a team of four to represent various schools around the world to participate instead of the usual individual this year. When I was called, I was told that you four were the best choices."

When no one said anything (or moved for that matter) Kageyama smiled wider. "Go ahead…take them."

Inch by inch, three hands moved closer to the innocent envelopes.

The three seated took their invitations so cautiously it was like they were about to explode. They examined them carefully, pleading in their minds that this was not a dream.

"Are…are you serious?" Riku asked, his breathing shallow.

"The Official Preliminaries will start in November. Make sure you make me proud boys."

With that he stood and left the room. Upon closing the door, he listened through the thin wood with a smile.

* * *

Kabuto stared at his invitation. "Please someone pinch me."

Instead of a pinch, someone whacked him upside the head, almost sending him face first into the desk. "Hey I said a pinch!"

He turned back to Riku, and made a face. "Riku…I suggest you kill the waterworks."

Riku snapped back to reality before the drool accumulating on the tip of his lip fell on the invitation's paper seal.

"Can…can you believe it…?" He gasped. "The WCG…"

Kabuto gently placed the little piece of paper in his pocket, a ridiculous grin plastered on his face. Coaxing his friend up, he shook Riku's shoulders slightly. "Do you know what this means, man?"

Riku let his head roll on its socket, his mouth half open, drool collecting on his lip.

Sanryo watched the scene and poked Riku on the side of his head. "Did he go brain dead?"

Kabuto shrugged. "He does this every time a new game comes out…" He shook Riku's shoulders, unfortunately sending drool into his face.

"Ew…" He grimaced, wiping the saliva off his cheek.

"If you three are done, I'm leaving…"

The three snapped to Yuuhi who simply picked up his invite and moved toward the door. "I'm sure some idiot would pay an arm and leg for this little baby."

Shocked gasps rang through the room.

"What the heck do you mean, sell it?"

"Are you crazy?"

Seeing their reactions, Yuuhi just smirked. "What? I'm nothing like you. What do you care if I sell this? I have no desire to go to that stupid tournament, so this little piece of paper means nothing to me. You guys know that people would _kill_ for a chance to even touch this ticket, I might even get ten million yen for this!" (2)

He left, and closed the door behind him, ignoring Kageyama, who was just standing outside the door.

The three inside just stared him out, ignoring the small red light coming from the desk.

Ignoring the fact that the Public Address System wired throughout the school had been on for the past hour.

* * *

**(1) According to the manga, that's the name of the pier. Incidentally, Othello is also the name of a board game. And as any fan knows, Kazuki Takahashi loves board games. (Domino, Othello…XP)**

**(2) Ten million yen (10,000,000) in the current currency would equal to 87 thousand dollars. (87719.27 dollars to be exact)**

**Review please!**


	13. Bet on It

**I claim ownership to the four main characters alone!**

**Yo there, guys! Miss me? It's been a crazy new year, but my big brother managed to reverse the Blue Screen of Death of my old computer, and guess what? The data is still here! Well, almost, I have to redo this entire chapter, but the one I typed in before was a little blah, anyway!**

**Hope you enjoy the new chapter! By the way, it's good to be back!**

**

* * *

**

_**Las Vegas, Nevada; 7:00 pm, The Day Before**_

It was a loud and noisy night. Car horns were blaring out; dogs were barking, headlight streams streaked through the drawn up blinds. The cyber café was almost empty…except of course, for its most famous, frequent…and annoying customer…

"_Eat ma' boomstick, suckas!_" Said young man said happily, rapidly typing in a command into the keyboard. His breathing shallow, his heavily tanned fingers flying across the buttons, pale violet eyes locked on the screen, watching as hordes of undead warriors fell under the blunt of his character's attack.

At that moment, the door opened, flooding the dim café with light. Upon the sudden brightening of the room, the young man hid his eyes behind his arm, hissing.

"The light…it _burns_!" He wailed dramatically, recoiling into his plush chair.

"If it burns you, get your butt back home!" An irritated, female voice retorted, followed by a few clicks of leather heels on a tiled floor.

"Imaru!"

"Come on, Mr. High-and-Mighty gaming God…"

An equally tan, slender, bracelet-adorned hand grabbed his arm, and tried to drag him towards the door. "I swear, Mark…" Imaru grumbled, her light amethyst eyes rolling in their sockets. "Ever since you won the WCG, you're been a bigger pain in the butt than ever."

"I know you are, but what am I?" Mark replied, sending Imaru a cocky glance.

"A big, cocky glory-hog."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

At this Imaru whirled around, her dangling gold earrings clinking against her silver, sequined necklace as her shoulder length, fly-away silver-grey hair bounced with the sudden movement.

"Shut up." She breathed.

"Who's the older twin here?"

"Just because you were born four minutes before me does not make you-"

"Yes it does!"

"No it does not!"

Two pairs of equally pale violet eyes were locked in focus, staring the other down hard, to no avail. Eventually, one pair looked away.

Imaru continued towards the exit. "Come on, we gotta get home before dinner, I gotta get my beauty sleep."

"Why? Even 3000 years of beauty sleep can't help you."

"You found me beautiful once…"

"Honey, you got _real_ ugly…"

Imaru stopped, her left eye twitching. "Stop quoting _Army of Darkness_!"

"Stop making _me_ quote it!"

"I swear, if you quote it one more time, I'm gonna start calling you Brian Campbell!"

"It's _Bruce _Campbell!"

They were both interrupted by an ecstatic gasp, and an exclamation of '_It's him!_' which was followed by hurried footsteps and camera clicks.

Both Mark and Imaru stopped cold in their tracks, frightened lavender orbs scanning the lobby of the hotel they were staying in.

The paparazzi found them.

"Retreat, retreat!" Mark cried, stumbling back.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Imaru yelped afterwards, both of them running away from the stampeding photographers.

* * *

_**Domino City, Japan, 12 noon, today**_

"Hey didya hear what happened in the principal's office?"

"Yeah, four guys were given WCG tickets!"

"Wonder who they are…?"

"One of them's Yuuhi Mutou…"

"That's to be expected, but who are the other three…?"

The rumors were flying off from classroom to classroom, about the four 'chosen ones' to this year's World Cyber Games. Hushed whispers ruled the corridors, and everyone was either listening or telling their friends about the school wide PA announcement.

Yuuhi glanced around. Everywhere he went, people were sneaking glances at him, some of disbelief, others of admiration…but the vast majority was of envy…deep…_loathing_…Envy…

The Olympics of Gaming, it was called. The epitome of video game excellence…whatever it was called, it didn't matter to him…not anymore…

Not after what happened…

He was sitting in his usual spot again, looking up at the leaves of his favorite tree, lazily leaning against the trunk.

Just then, a shadow came into his line of sight. He straightened up and saw that he was surrounded by 6 or so young men, seniors judging by their posture.

"You think you're so high and mighty, huh Yuuhi?" One of them growled menacingly, irritation apparent in his tone.

"Yeah, I do. Who are you to ask that?" Yuuhi replied, smirking cockily up at him.

"You don't need to know my name…" He said simply, cocking his slicked back ebony black hair tauntingly.

"Oh, and here I thought you were someone to be taken seriously…go have a _Yaoi_ pairing somewhere else, I'm not gay."

"Ooh, he got ya there, Shun…" one of the dumber-looking ones on his left snorted.

"Shut the hell up, _baka_!"

"Shun…is it?" Yuuhi asked cockily as he stood up, breaking the up the surrounding crowd of seniors and other spectators. "If you want the ticket that Kageyama gave me, you'd better be prepared to pay a hefty price."

The spectators were dumbstruck. Shun glanced at him questioningly, and scowled at him. "I don't want the ticket, I want your supposed teammates. Or are you going to protect their wimpy little _asses_ from the likes of us?"

Yuuhi looked insulted. Spitting into the ground at Shun's feet, he cocked his head back with a smirk.

"Fine...if you want them, I'll tell you..."

* * *

**_Tokyo, Japan, 2 pm, Today_**

"Sir?"

"Come in."

A young lady with long brown hair done up in a bun quietly opened the door, the plush carpet muffling the clicks her heels made on the mahogany floor. She was moving toward a large, sleek black desk with the World Cyber Games Logo emblazoned on it in solid brass. The desk only had a computer off to the side, with was on and showing an E-mail. Behind this desk was a large swivel chair facing the window overlooking the busy Tokyo Cityscape.

"How are this year's preparations?" A man in the swivel chair asked, making the chair spin toward the desk.

"A little bit ahead of schedule. With preparations going this well, we will be able to start the preliminaries two months earlier than planned." The woman replied with a smile.

"Great work then. By the way? Did that last principal send in his representatives yet?"

"Yes sir. Mr. Kageyama just E-mailed us the students he chose." She lay a folder on the desk, which was later taken.

The man opened the folder, scanned its contents, and broke out into a small smile. His grey blue eyes semmed to sparkle in the celing lights, intriguing his secretary.

"What is it sir?" She asked.

"Oh nothing..." He replied, running a hand through his chunky black hair. "That's all I need to hear, Kasi, you may go."

Kasi bowed curtly and left, leaving him to turn toward the computer and read the E-mail.

_It has been a very uneventful few weeks since you last dropped me a line. _It read. _But I would've preferred un uneventful day rather than this. The meeting we have to go to later tonight is vexing me badly. That annoying Schroeder is going along, and he's bringing his Prima Donna of a daughter with him. My own offspring is just as troublesome, choosing to lock himself in his recently soundproofed room whenever he gets the chance. I get the feeling he is avoiding me. As of this moment, I am jealous of your lack of children. I will enjoy your presence at the meeting tonight...I need something to distract me from the headache._

He chuckled and tossed the open folder on his desk, glancing at the attached pictures within.

"I'm sure you're going to get an even bigger headache when you hear who Sanryo's principal chose_, Nii-sama_..."

* * *

**This goes out to my good friend Brian, for always being there for me! Great works, Good luck and keep writing Bri!**


	14. Figure09

**You know what I usually put here right?**

**Alright guys…I had to stay home from school today…had a touch of the flu. (Sniffle) Then again that doesn't hinder my writing. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. The first bit of action… (Atchoo) …done in the manner of Season Zero.**

**

* * *

**"I can't believe he ditched us!" 

Jonouchi drummed his fingers on the worn out desk, irritated at the recent events. They all had woken up to find Yuuhi long gone, and the time a couple of hours after noon. Just a few seconds after he said this, a low growl rumbled through the room.

"I'm getting hungry…"

Seto glared in his direction. "No surprise…" He drawled, lazily watching a fly buzz by.

Yuugi looked around. "I'll try to look for something to eat…"

He made his way into the unbearably small and dingy kitchen, where he accidentally bumped into a closet door, jarring it open. Curiosity overcame him, and he peeked inside.

What was in it made his eyes grow to what seemed like twice their size.

"Whoa…"

He reached in and pilled out not one, not two, but three 24-karat gold medals. '_Where did he get these?_' He thought as he examined them. Each of their surfaces seemed severely damaged, like they were filed down so much whatever was etched into them was now illegible.

'_I wonder what this is…_'

* * *

"Man I thought that bell would never ring…"

Riku stretched out in his chair, relieved that the school day was over. He collected his things and stood up, glancing to his front chest pocket where the treasured entry ticket was.

'_I can't believe it. __**Me**__, of all people…_' He thought to himself, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "Cyber Games, here I come…!" He whispered as he jauntily strolled out of the room.

As he walked down the semi-crowded hallway, he became very conscious that a fairly large group of people was following him. Trying to ignore it, he sped up his pace until he got out on campus.

'_That was odd…_'

"Hey freshman!" Someone called out.

Riku jerked his head to the direction of the voice. He saw someone waving him over nearby the gate. He raced over, and saw that he was surrounded by an entourage of around 6 more students.

"What's your name freshman?" The one who called him over asked.

"Riku…" The white-haired teen replied warily, the people who were beginning to surround him began eyeing him, and he didn't like it. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Shun Imahara."

Shun noticed Riku's expression, and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about them, they always look that way. I saw you playing the computer yesterday…I just thought that you'd want to play a game with us…"

Shun's tone didn't ease Riku's anxiety, but at the mention of 'game', his mood brightened. "What kind of game?" He asked.

"There's this new VR game at the arcade based on _Ragnarok_. You can access your characters in your account and actually become them in the game."

Riku's mood brightened further. "Really now?" The look in his eye sparked ominously, his expression seemed almost obsessively psychotic.

"Of course, it's only half the fun if you play alone…that's why there's a multi-PVP function. What do you say Riku, up for a little PVP match?"

Riku could only nod in reply.

'_Excellent…out of the three freshmen Yuuhi gave me, this one seems the easiest to beat. I'll be headed for the Cyber Games sooner than ever!'_

* * *

Yuuhi was watching as Shun waved Riku over, he leaned into the large shady tree he was hiding under, a small smirk on his features. "This might be interesting…" He mumbled to himself as he followed them at a distance.

He looked over to Riku. '_If I remember correctly…that blond kid said that he was downright crazy for new games…I just wonder if it's the type of crazy that's needed for the Cyber Games...'_

_

* * *

_

"This is it."

Riku looked around like a small kid in a candy store. There were two rooms, with large tinted windows and from inside he could see there was around ten computers form each side, and in between the two rooms was a giant flat-screen TV hanging on the wall.

"When was this installed?" Riku asked, admiring the sleek look of the computers inside the room. "I've been going to this place for ages and it's only now I've seen this!"

"Oh, it's a new arrival. My dad's a technician here and I get first dibs on the new games released."

Riku smiled in reply. '_Game Technician is nothing compared to Game Designer. Cause of my dad…I can see a game made from start to finish and play it __**before **__it gets released.'_

Shun smiled back. "Just head to that room and get comfortable. I'll just chat with my boys for a while."

Riku entered the room and took a seat closest to the door.

"_You guys know the plan?_" He heard shun on the other side.

"_Whack the dude on the head as soon as he loses right?"_

"_Then swipe the ticket and make a run for it."_

"_Gotcha, boss!"_

"_Why can't we just mug him for the ticket, boss?"_

"_Because…I like to watch my prey squirm before I kill them._"

'_So that's what they're up to huh?_' Riku thought as he decided to play the game anyway. Noticing that the loading screen had already disappeared, he rolled his swivel chair toward the computer and typed in a number of commands. '_Well, let's see if they can actually beat the __**Zetsumei no Tenshi**__…_"

* * *

Shun and his gang entered their room, while one of them stayed outside and watched the large flat-screen. Behind him, hidden behind a pillar, Yuuhi watched the screen as well. Both sets of eyes watched the screen flickered to life, and showed off a rather large labyrinth, with five characters in one room, and only one in another.

Yuuhi examined the lone character and smirked slightly. '_Well, I wasn't expecting this…_'

The other occupant in the room seemed to notice as well. "Huh…I think I saw that guy from somewhere…" He thought audibly, scratching his chin.

* * *

**_In the Game_**

Shun and his gang was clambering down one dim corridor, looking left and right for Riku. Each of them was heavily armed, with swords, crossbows, and even guns; yet, their target was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd that coward go?" Shun asked, slamming his armored fist into the labyrinth wall.

"He's gotta be in here somewhere, boss!" One of his lackeys assured him.

Then, a loud clanking of metal rang off from behind the group, and Shun, not even bothering to look behind, growled. "Shut up over there, I'm trying to listen for that idiot freshman!"

They walked for what seemed like half an hour and Shun just got crosser and crosser every second. He was about to cry out and swear when he heard someone scream up ahead.

"There you are!"

They raced toward the direction of the scream and drew their weapons…up one corridor, down another, until finally they were lead to an entrance to a room. When they looked into it, they all gasped.

It was a large, bare room, with numerous lit torches hung up on the walls. But, in the exact center, was a body, covered from head to toe in blood. Shun inched closer, and his eyes widened when he could recognize the face of the corpse.

"No way…_Akio!_" He cried, kneeling down.

The corpse was of one of his lackeys, lying spread-eagled on the floor of the room, his eyes open wide, his mouth stretched in a silent scream. Blood was all over his body, along the walls, splashed across the brackets of the torches, which cast an eerie reddish glow over everything.

Shun looked Akio over again, and noticed that near his hand he had written down something in his own blood.

"_Zetsumei no Tenshi…_" Shun read, straightening. "The Death Angel…"

* * *

While the commotion was happening in the room, a lone figure leaned against the wall outside, admiring a large, bloodstained dagger in his hands.

"You chose the wrong opponent…Shun Imahara…" He mumbled, before turning around and disappearing into the oncoming darkness.

* * *

Back outside, the lone lackey was shaking in his seat. "No way…that freshman is The Death Angel?" He shockingly looked into the tinted window, where Riku was playing. His eyes were shielded by both the visor that he was using, and the bangs on his head, but an eerie, ominous smile played on his lips.

The lackey watched as said lips parted into a soft, menacing chuckle, then a low snicker…then a muffled, maniacal laugh.

"That's it, I'm outta here!" He yelped and ran out of the building, ignoring the fact that Yuuhi was leaning against the pillar, watching the screen with unblinking Plum Purple eyes.

"The Death Angel…" Yuuhi recited to himself. "The most notorious Player Killer in the _Ragnarok _online game franchise. First made a kill 5 months ago, and his hit list has peaked at over 500 players…so elusive that all of the moderators can't even find a trace of him. Those who have tasted his blade either quit the game or fear going back into it. Those brave ones who do say that he is of the 'Assassin' Job Class, and wears a helmet with two white angel wings."

He turned around and left. "Impressive résumé, Riku Bakura…"

* * *

**Hope you enjoy the update, as for me I have to debate on who goes next...Sanryo or Kabuto...either way, hope this give you guys a little insight on the plot. Please review!**


	15. Papercut

**You guys know the drill by now, I don't own it!**

**Yo there, guys! It's been a long bout of debating, but after careful deliberation (and taking bribes and/or death threats); I have decided on who will be next after Riku…who will it be? **

…

**You weren't expecting me to just TELL you, were you?**

**

* * *

**Run. 

It was the most obvious solution to his problem.

To just run, and hope that _he _couldn't catch up, the idea seemed too good to pass up.

And yet...

...Shun Imahara was never one to quit…

...Even if his opponent was one of the most infamous Player Killers in the game, if not _the _most.

He was hiding in a dimmed out corridor, the brackets of torches doused, along with some neighboring corridors to throw his predator off. He paused, breathing…

It has only been around 15 minutes since they started, and even in _this _amount of time Riku – or shall we say, 'The Death Angel' – has reduced the number of opponents from five to just Shun. The senior student didn't even realize he was all alone until he saw the words 'You're last to die' written in his comrades' blood along the wall, written with what seemed to be the tip of a blade.

He didn't even see how his friends died…and personally, he was glad.

Suddenly, he heard the distant _thump _of a footstep. Panicked, he reached for the pistol in its holster and fired off in the direction of the footstep. The bullet whistled off into the darkness, and made a faint, but heard impact with a stone wall.

"_There you are…_" Shun heard a whisper, seemingly right next to his ear. He whirled around and fired off another shot, and again, it impacted with a wall.

"_Come now, Shun…" _Riku whispered again, making the mentioned person whirl around again, frantically glancing left and right. "_Play with me…I like to watch my prey squirm before I kill them._"

Shun jumped a mile when he felt something cold on his neck. "_Why so jumpy, Shun? I'm just repeating what **you **said about __**me**_..."

He began to run. It didn't matter where he went, as long as he was safe from the knives of the Death Angel…

* * *

Back at school, on a bench under a tree, there sat a girl, quietly reading a book. Her long black hair tucked neatly behind her ears, her sparkling emerald eyes hidden behind simple oval glasses.

She put down the book and scratched the back of her head, making the single, dangling earring of a black spotted ladybug jingle happily. She then removed her glasses and reached for a handkerchief, but before she could do so, someone briskly grabbed her hand and dragged her off.

After a few moments of being dragged uncomfortably, she was forcibly turned around. She looked up and saw a young student, dressed in a traditional Kendo uniform, with a large bamboo sword slung over his shoulder.

"Why won't you answer my calls anymore?" He asked, desperation mixed with anger in his tone.

The young girl tried to pull her hand free, and upon failing, looked up angrily at the boy. "I told you, I never want to see you again!" She complained.

"Why not?"

She finally broke free from his grasp, and dashed away. He watched her dash away, and called out to her. "I'll call you later, okay?"

Shaking her head, she reached the bench she was unceremoniously forced to vacate and found her book and glasses next to someone who had removed his own glasses and is now wiping his blond locks away from his pale amber eyes.

She sat down next to him, reached for one of the two pairs of spectacles between them, and put them on. Almost immediately, she had to remove the glasses, because when she had put them on, they were so highly graded it was irritating her eyes.

"Sorry," the blond boy said, handing her the other pair. "I think you got my glasses by mistake."

They exchanged glasses and the girl put hers on first. With her glasses in place, she was able to see the blond boy, both as clear as day, and as close as possible. She let out a small gasp and blushed, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

'_He is so cute!_' She thought.

"Are you okay?" He asked, slipping on his own glasses, his amber eyes sparked with concern.

"Yeah…"

He then looked at something over her shoulder, and grinned. "There he is!" He exclaimed. He looked to her again. "Sorry, I gotta go, my name's Kabuto Jonouchi by the way."

He grabbed a nearby bag and ran off following someone.

Before Kabuto was out of earshot, she called out to him.

"_Aoi. Aoi Otogi!_"

* * *

The Kendo student from before watched from behind the tree as Aoi waved goodbye to Kabuto, glaring at the blond boy and clutching his bamboo sword angrily.

"_Jonouchi Kabuto, desu ka_…?" He mumbled to himself. And he left, slinging his bamboo sword over his shoulder. "I'll show you, blondie…don't flirt with my girl…"

* * *

"Hey Ryo!"

The said brunet turned around and saw Kabuto running up to him.

"Still remember me?" He asked.

Amused, Sanryo pretended to forget, snapping his fingers to jog his memory. "Something to do with a bug…now what was it again?"

"Oh you're hilarious…" Kabuto replied, rolling his eyes. "Listen, I was thinking of heading for the arcade, I think Riku already went ahead, since I can't find him anywhere here…want to come with?"

Sanryo was about to reply, when the honk of a horn cut him off. "Want to, but can't. I have an appointment to keep." He said curtly.

With that said, he dashed off toward the white limo that ever so casually rolled up in front of the gate.

Kabuto cocked an eyebrow. "'An _appointment_ to keep'…yeah, right…with whom: Kobe Bryant or Angelina Jolie?"

The blond rolled his eyes and started walking down the sidewalk. "Rich people…they're all the same…"

* * *

"Who was that, Ryo?"

Isono glanced at the tall and lanky brunet, smiling slightly as Sanryo reached for a black Ipod in a hidden compartment, his face passive and unreadable.

"Just a schoolmate…" He answered nonchalantly, slipping the earphones on and casually pressing the buttons selecting a very particular song. He closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat as Isono rounded a corner, driving up to a very exquisite hotel.

"We'll be arriving at the meeting soon, Master Ryo."

Just as he expected, Sanryo did not make his usual irritated reply at calling him 'master'. He just grunted in acknowledgement, and ran his hand through his hair, straightening it so effectively it looked like it was gelled down flat.

"Is father already there?" Sanryo asked curtly. There was a surprising iciness and stoniness in his tone, much unlike the way he usually talked.

"Yes, Master Ryo. He will be awaiting your arrival at the main entrance."

Sanryo opened his eyes, revealing deep blue orbs that had lost their warmth, and are now like frozen sapphires…reminiscent of a past occupant of that very limo, sitting in that exact same spot a long time ago...

"Make sure I'm on time then." He ordered, crossing his arms.

* * *

"_Shun…where are you, Shun…?"_

A pair of reddened brown eyes was following him. Shun had seem them before, and ran faster when he saw them again.

The two eyes hastened their pace, slowly catching up to the fleeing Shun.

Suddenly, he felt something – or someone – grab the collar of his shirt, pull him off the ground and throw him into the wall of a large room.

As he slid down the cold stone wall and collided with the floor, he raised his head off it, blowing the hair away from his face, when he saw; level with his eye, a steel-tipped, bloodstained black boot.

"Well, I guess this cat-and-mouse chase has officially ended…" Sneered a soft, melodic voice from somewhere above him.

Once again, he felt him grab his collar, but this time, he was raised to meet the face of the Death Angel.

It really was Riku. Who else would have his impossibly white hair? But, at this moment, the white hair was smeared with red; peeking out from under the famed Angel Wing Helmet he was notorious for wearing. The two fluffy white wings still shone pristine white, its soft feathers still immaculate.

"I truly wish I could mean it when I say it was a fun chase…" Riku said airily, examining the large Katar in his free hand. "But sadly, no one has ever given me a chase worth the effort…" (1)

He clenched his free fist tighter, and two smaller blades emerged from the sides of the original Katar. "Judging by how cocky you sounded, planning to mug me for my little 'privilege', I thought you'd be better than this…"

He shrugged his shoulders as he noticed that the two smaller Katar blades had bloodstains on them. He brought it up to his face, and casually licked them off, a sick and twisted smile playing on his features.

"…then again, I thought wrong…"

He thrust Shun squarely into the wall, and punched him in the chest.

* * *

**(1) A Katar is an Indian Weapon known for its easy to use, fast, and deadly precision. Look it up on Wiki and you'll see a picture of the one Riku used to kill Shun.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, next one (hopefully) will be soon!**


	16. Bleed it out

Long time no update, I hear you say

**Long time no update, I hear you say? Well, not anymore!**

**Hello peeps, it's me again. Guess what happened again…yesh, comp crashed again. Well it's back now, but every single one of my fanfic documents was deleted…even the extra long CTNIC update I was trying to finish…guess you guys have to wait again. So sorry, but here's the good news: It's my summer vacation now! No rules, no distractions from updating! **

…**except of course the weekly dueling tournaments I have…**

**Anyway, time to address stuff:**

**About the ending to last chapter, so sorry if it was a little underwhelming, It's just that the last time I typed in something with blood in it, I was criticized heavily for putting M-rated stuff into a T-rated fic. So…I didn't want that to happen. So to speak, I had to put in the '**_**4Kids censor**_**'. **

**Here's the original version, for all your gore-loving pleasure:**

**oOo**

_He shrugged his shoulders as he noticed that the two smaller Katar blades had bloodstains on them. He brought it up to his face, and casually licked them off, a sick and twisted smile playing on his features._

"…_then again, I thought wrong…"_

_He thrust Shun squarely into the wall, and with his right hand, sent the Katar blade directly into his stomach, sending blood spewing all over his arm. Shun started to cough up blood, but Riku just licked his lips and squeezed his fist tighter, sending the smaller blades snapping out, cutting into the victim's internal organs. His victim was choking, spraying his white winged helmet with blood droplets. Riku twisted his arm, doing even more damage._

_Finally, after what seemed like forever, in one swift motion, Riku pulled his arm free, splattering the nearby wall with a streak of red. He let Shun slide off the wall he was pinned against, and slump onto the floor. The Death Angel smiled, ran his finger across a bloodstained wall, and used the blood from it to draw a line across his left eye, along his face and two smaller ones perpendicular to that._

"_The hunt is over…The Death Angel has been satiated."_

**oOo**

**…Now, back to your regularly scheduled fanfic. Enjoy!**

**oOo**

The _Domino Imperia_, the most exclusive hotel that Domino had to offer. It boasted the most decorated function rooms, the most exquisite five-star gourmet food Japan had to offer, and the crème de la crème of clientele.

Right now, as proof to that, a vast assortment of limousines had lined up at the main doors, dropping off said clientele.

And, like with any event containing big names, the paparazzi were swarming all over it, snapping their cameras, brandishing their microphones, and pushing against the hotel security to get a word from the people descending from their vehicles.

Right now, a young lady, roughly in her late teens stepped off her limo, wearing a luxurious scarlet red gown accenting her bubblegum-pink hair, and sleek red stiletto heels, which clicked against the tiles of the driveway. She smiled to the paparazzi, who immediately snapped their photos.

"Ms. Von Schroeder, how do you like Japan so far?" She heard one of the reporters ask in accented English.

"_Vell, _It is a very beautiful country, but I still love my homeland a lot more…" She replied nonchalantly.

She was about halfway across the driveway when another limo, this one pure white, with a hood ornament shaped like a dragon, drove up. As soon as it stopped, dozens of teenage girls, who had swarmed in from seemingly nowhere, screamed and squealed in delight.

"_There he is_!" They shouted in Japanese, almost overwhelming the already overcrowded road.

Vivianni Von Schroeder whirled around. It was the first time she had seen so many people swarm around one car, even when German fans did the same to her car. Even her fans weren't _this _numerous…

She took a few steps backward and got a better view of the scene. Over the crowd, she saw an old man wearing shades, possibly a bodyguard, with his hands outstretched wide, protecting…

…the most handsome boy she had ever seen.

His deep chocolate hair was lightly combed back, seemingly unaffected by the night breeze, and his eyes…his pure, sapphire blue eyes scanned the crowd with slight amusement. He was able to break away, showing Vivianni the pure white suit he was wearing. Neatly pressed and immaculately clean, it seemed to glow under the overhead light. Around his neck hung a sleek black I-pod, with a back designed like the back of those old cards she saw her father admiring in his study sometimes.

Speechless, she took a step back and accidentally tripped on the stairs leading up to the main doors. She let out a gasp, closed her eyes and braced for the fall…

…which never came, instead she felt strong, lean arms catch her. She opened her eyes an unconsciously blushed when she saw who had caught her.

"_Daijoubu ka?_" He asked as those sapphire blue orbs of his locked on to hers. (Are you alright?)

Vivianni was speechless. All around her, she heard camera flashes, squealing and screaming girls and whisperings among the surrounding crowd, but they didn't matter to her. She just nodded, and he let her stand again.

"_Tsurei-shimasu…" _He said, bowing politely and ascending the stairs. (Excuse me…)

The German heiress just stood there, blushing deeply, her hand close to her mouth.

'_Who was he…?' _She thought.

**oOo**

"_Tell me cool vibration…Live your fantasy. Tell me who, tell me surely, and the name…I'll be stunned, I'll be waiting, Ghosts of horror show, and I don't care…Just say ya love…"_

Kabuto couldn't help but smile as he walked home, snapping his fingers as he sang softly. "It doesn't make sense, but it _is _catchy…"

He walked one for a little more, and then stopped.

'_Someone's following me…_'

He took three steps forward. No sound came. He continued on, silently waiting for any sign of life other than his own.

There it was: footsteps, light, hurried, muffled…someone was trying to sneak up on him. He spotted a back alley, and ducked into it, walking until he came to the midway point of the dead end alley.

He turned around and there he saw a Kendo student, a little taller than him, with short, black hair and equally black eyes, which were narrowed with anger.

"Stay away from my girl." He growled venomously, brandishing a bamboo sword in front of Kabuto's nose.

The blond just stared blankly at him. "What girl?"

"You know who I mean, Aoi! Stay away from her!"

Kabuto wracked his brains, and finally figured out who he meant. "Oh…you mean that girl from school. Hey, she's yours, She's not even my type."

"What did you just say?" The Kendo student breathed. "_Did you just insult her?_"

"Insult her? Listen, you're a little too paranoid. I'm just saying that I don't like those silent type girls."

"You insulted her!" He roared. "You just insulted my girlfriend! Prepare to pay the price!"

He lunged at Kabuto angrily, yelling a war cry as he did so. The blond nimbly ducked out of the way, a little surprised at the outburst. "Hey, calm down!"

"Shut up and fight like a man!" He roared. "I, Kanaguchi Kintaro, do not fight cowards!"

At this, Kabuto's eyes narrowed. "Did you just call me a coward…?" He asked, grinding his teeth in anger.

"I just speak the truth, Kabuto Jonouchi…" Kintaro retorted, smirking.

"You have yourself a fight, but just to be fair, I need a weapon as well. There is no point in fighting unarmed."

Kintaro smirked. "Ah, true. There is no honor in defeating an unarmed opponent. Here, I have a spare sword."

He reached for the spare sword slung over his shoulder and tossed it to Kabuto.

'_Little does he know…my sword is actually a real, steel tempered Katana hidden in a bamboo case._' Kintaro thought with an evil smile. '_He'll never see it coming…I'll make him __**bleed**__ for what he said about Aoi…'_

"Shall we start then…?" Kabuto asked, wielding his sword in a veteran Kendo stance.

"Let's."

The two lunged at the same time. Kintaro swung his sword to Kabuto's side, but he lunged out of the way, while sneaking a blow to Kintaro's arm. Kintaro then aimed for his head, but again, the blonde dodged it. Time and time again, Kintaro was hit, and Kabuto evaded every blow he dealt; after a while of this, Kintaro leapt back, even angrier than they had started.

"That is it!" He yelled, ripping the solid steel blade from its wooden scabbard. "Prepare to bleed, Jonouchi!"

He lunged again, lightly grazing Kabuto's cheek with the tip of the blade.

"Where'd you get that?" Kabuto asked, staring at the gleaming blade.

"Oh this…? This is just a souvenir I got from winning the Regional Kendo championships."

'A _Regionalist…?_' Kabuto thought.

Suddenly, Kintaro lunged again, and Kabuto tumbled forward toward his large sports bag, swiftly unzipping it and searching its contents.

With his back to Kintaro, the blond frantically dug as the Kendo Regionalist inched closer to him, Katana at the ready.

"You'll pay…" He breathed, bringing up the sword for a downward swipe…

…this time, the sword collided.

The deafening _clang_ of metal rang throughout the empty alley.

Kintaro smiled, but the smile turned into a look of shock when he saw what had collided with his blade.

Kabuto looked up at him, smirking widely. In his left hand was a smaller katana with an ornate black handle bearing an engraving of a serpentine dragon, and its blade had a thin gold line running along the blade. In his other hand was a longer Katana, as long as Kintaro's, with a similar design to the smaller one, in an ebony black scabbard.

"That's a _Wakizachi_ and a _Tachi…" _Kintaro gasped, taking a step back, allowing Kabuto to stand. "Where…"

"…did I get them…?" Kabuto finished. He let out a chuckle, and sheathed the smaller _Wakizachi_. "They were my prize…from the Continental Kendo championships."

"No way…"

"I officially retired from tournament Kendo, but I like to keep them close by as a reminder…that honor should always be held above _petty_ desires."

Kabuto slipped the longer _Tachi _through his belt and unsheathed it in a smooth _Samurai _style. "Now a true battle begins…"

Kintaro stumbled back, and ran past Kabuto and out of sight, frantically trying to get away from him.

The Blond shook his head and sheathed the _Tachi_ smoothly in one fluid motion. Then, he turned around, slipped the Wakizachi into a belt loop just under the _Tachi_ and hoisted his bag over his shoulder. Then he smiled and chuckled to himself.

"If these were bayonets, then they'd call me Alexander Anderson…" He thought aloud as he walked out of the alley, singing to himself. _"Oh, down down, wish it's just a revelation. Take me once, take me into the revolution…Down down, won't ya hear the vibration? Take me home, and I'll look to return…_"

**oOo**

As Kabuto left, he didn't notice Yuuhi leaning against the building across the alley where he had fought.

The pony-tailed teen smirked and walked off, arms crossed. "Retired Asian Kendo Champion, '_The Golden Samurai_', a young boy of 15 who had beaten out 700 other competitors from all over Asia and had won two custom made swords from the top sword smith today, only to retire after that…otherwise known as Kabuto Jonouchi…"

He stopped and looked up at the starry sky. "This is getting very interesting…"

**oOo**

**Enjoy the new update, and I hope you guys will forgive me in making you wait all this time…(winks) I have no reason to delay writing, so stay tuned, the next one would be up soon!**


	17. Chain

I own the plot, the characters, and nothing else

**I own the plot, the characters, and nothing else.**

**Yo, it's me again! Here's the new chapter! I guess you guys over on the other side of the world are cramming for exams huh? It's a little boring here without you guys. One month of summer's gone away and no updates of the stories I've read. Now I know what they mean by **_**Lazy Days**_**…**

**It's not ALL bad…I mean over here we get to duel in Animé Conventions! So it's a little good.**

**(Shakes head) Americans…you guys over at the Atlantic are so weird…**

**BTW, FFnet's got issues with using non-authorized line breaks…they're erasing the ones that aren't 'official'. If your document editor wasn't screwed, **_**I wouldn't have an (EFF!)ing problem!**_

**o.O.o**

It was around 10 pm when Yuuhi got back to his place, carrying two plastic bags worth of groceries. He walked the bike in, so as not to disturb anyone. After padlocking the bike to a nearby wall, he slowly got up the stairs to his lowly apartment.

Inside, he could see outlines of two of his 'guests' asleep on the floor. Shrugging it off, he moved to the dingy kitchen, where he saw Yuugi sitting down at the table, looking closely at three chiseled down medals in the dim bulb's light.

At the sight of those medals, Yuuhi dropped the bags of food and grabbed them from right in front of Yuugi's face.

"Who told you to go snooping through my stuff?" He snapped, glaring at Yuugi, while tossing the three medals into the wide open closet.

"I was just looking through the things in that closet, and I found them…"

"Well, don't do it again."

The pony-tailed Mutou turned around to pick up the discarded shopping while Yuugi looked at his retreating back with concern.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

Judging by Yuuhi turning his head to him, it wasn't softly enough. "Wha?"

"What happened with you and…um…?"

The taller Mutou pulled up a seat and sat down, resting his head in his hand. "It's complicated." He said simply.

"Why'd you leave…? Why are you so angry at…me…?"

Yuuhi cocked a brow, genuine confusion on his face. "Me…angry at you?" He averted his eyes, admiring a spot on the wall behind Yuugi. "The word 'angry' doesn't describe the situation in the least…"

He stood up and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not angry at you, never was, never will be. I'm just angry at _myself_, if you can understand what I mean…"

He left the kitchen, leaving a perplexed Yuugi behind.

'What did he mean?' Yuugi thought, wracking his brains.

As he was deep in thought, Yuuhi came back into the room, brow furrowed.

"Isn't it there were _four _of you?" He asked.

**o.O.o**

"It's strange…"

Seto walked along the pier, admiring the picturesque nighttime view of the ocean.

"This is all too…_surreal_…"

He had decided to walk to his mansion, without telling anyone where he was going. He walked away from there without anyone noticing in broad daylight, what more in the dim blanket of night?

It was helpful he wasn't wearing is usual attire, as it would've surely stood out in this time. Anyone who had glanced at him before just looked away without any second thoughts.

Soon enough, he had reached his estate. As imposing and intimidating as it was thirty years ago, the large white building stood tall and proud, unchanged in the years that had come. He moved along the large fence surrounding it, looking for the way he came out of there the day before: A large, ancient tree that was there even before he had first stepped foot into the mansion when he was ten.

As soon as he was under the tree, he reached for a low hanging branch overhead and swiftly hoisted himself into the tree.

'_If Mokuba hadn't pestered me into climbing this tree over and over again all those years ago…' _He thought with a small grin on his face.

He made his way onto one of the thickest branches and looked over the large estate. In the moonlight, he was able to make out a solitary figure making its way to an old, barely standing shack on the outskirts of the premises.

Slowly, Seto descended from the tree and followed the figure at a distance, treading ever so lightly on the dew-soaked grass that he couldn't even hear it crunch under his boot.

Neither did his target, because he made no action that he heard anything either.

After a few minutes, they both wound up at the foot of the derelict shack, with Seto hiding behind another tree. He finally got a good look at who he was following.

It was Ryo.

He was looking up at the dilapidated shack, half bathed in shadow, if it weren't for the small square of light coming from the LCD screen if the I-pod around his neck. Seto could make out a small white earpiece lodged in tight, drowning out any other sounds.

"How long has it been since I found this place…?" He heard Ryo ask himself. "Five, maybe six years…?"

Seto shifted slightly to get a better view. As soon as he did, though, he heard a loud crack, and pieces of bark flew off the tree he was hiding behind, just inches away from his face.

"Do you mind getting out from behind the tree please, so I don't have to waste one more?"

Ryo had turned around to face him fully; arm extended steadily, a Browning 9x19mm Hi-Power poised at the ready. And if you don't speak military, it means one thing:

Ryo has a gun ready to fire.

Ryo casually pulled back the hammer. "You have three seconds before I pull the trigger again."

Seto inched out into the open, hands raised in front of him. "You shoot me…" He said slowly, smirking. "And you'll cease to exist."

Ryo's eyes widened, and then narrowed them as his free hand moved to the other pistol in its holster hidden under his tailcoat. "What are you implying…?"

"I'm implying exactly what I'm implying..." Seto replied casually, lowering his hands. "What, can't you see the resemblance?"

Ryo slowly holstered his pistol, his other hand hovering over the other one. His eyes scanned Seto thoroughly, before resting on the card locket.

"That locket…" Ryo whispered audibly. "Let me see it."

Slowly, Seto slipped his beloved locket off his neck, and tossed it to Ryo, who caught it in one smooth motion. He looked down, examined it, and ran his thumb along the back, stopping at the exact center, feeling around for the microchip key that unlocked the most private of KC information.

'_It's genuine_.' Ryo thought, popping the locket open and looking at the picture inside. He closed it and tossed it back to Seto, easing up his firing arm.

"So, what brings you to this part of the century?" Ryo asked, cocking a brow, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You're more perceptive than I thought."

"Blame the 13 alleles you gave me."

They both smiled.

"You're not at all suspicious on how this happened?" Seto asked.

Ryo shrugged and sat down on the grass. "Of course I am. It's just that life for me is so boring, a time paradox is a welcome break from the norm." He flipped his I-Pod over and skimmed through the selection.

A moment of silence fell upon the two brunets. Seto watched silently as Ryo kept his focus on his I-Pod. '_He's more Mokuba than me…_'

"So…what was it like back in time…?"

Seto cast him a knowing stare. "It was interesting…to say the least…"

Satisfied, Ryo lay back on the grass, the smile on his face lingering. "I wish I could've been there. Could you tell me what it was like?"

"I could…but I don't think I should."

At this Seto stood up and began to walk away. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again."

"Wait, could you just tell me what is inside the basement vault? I've always been curious about what was in there…"

"The code is 30000003. Oh, and whatever is in there, make sure you take care of it."

**o.O.o**

**Ryo's POV**

I watched him leave before I stood up. He was – or should I say, will be – definitely my father: Aloof, nonchalant, and classy. Yes, it did seem weird that he came here and talked to me. 'How could you be so calm?' I hear you ask? I've love reading about the paranormal…I have dozens of fantasy novels in my room. Reading about it softens the blow of it actually happening.

Besides…like I said earlier. The normal, high-class life that I have is so _boring_.

I made my back to the mansion, heading towards the basement. Ever since I was five, I've wondered what was inside the large vault there. It was the size of an airplane hangar, and with a heavy-duty vault door, my curiosity just grew.

I had approached the door and looked to the small keypad next to it.

_Oh, and whatever is in there, make sure you take care of it. _He said.

"Take care of what?" I asked myself as I punched in the code.

After the large door slid open, I took a bold step in and suddenly, the lights came on.

I looked around in shock. It wasn't _just _the size of an airplane hangar…

…it _was _an airplane hangar.

**o.O.o**

**This goes out to Salkiethia, Thanks for the fan arts of this story! Looking forward for more!**


	18. The Ghost of You

I own my characters, the story and this plot

**I own my characters, the story and this plot.**

**Right now it's approximately two weeks to my 17****th**** birthday. You guys already know I'm psyched. But I DO wish I'd get more than 2 reviews for this one… (pouts)**

**Here's the new chapter, for all your enjoyment.**

**o.O.o**

It was late.

It was a half-hour past midnight.

The City of Domino was almost like a ghost town. No one was out of the streets tonight. The litter on the sidewalk wasn't even stirring in the night breeze. All of the windows next to the streets were bolted up tight, padlocks the size of fists made sure it couldn't be opened.

Yet tonight, there was someone out.

A solitary figure, hands in his pockets, walking casually down a sidewalk. He kept his head down, but he knew exactly where he was going. He rounded a corner and turned his head behind him, checking if he was being followed. Satisfied, he went on, looking up at the gates of his destination…Domino Cemetery.

He pushed the rusted gate open, looking around. The eerie silence of the graveyard reflected the ambience the night time sky was giving: starless, inky black, with only the full moon as his light.

He walked past tombstone after tombstone, weaving his way of those past their lifetime, solemnly keeping his head low.

After a moment, he stopped. He was in a clearing, with only a solitary grave in front of him. He was surrounded by trees, which made a circular frame around the silvery white full moon.

"_Sashiburi da ne…Yuuhi_ …" A soft, ghostly voice whispered into the figure's ear. (It has been a while, Yuuhi…)

Undeterred, Yuuhi sat down on the grass. "So it has…"

"_What brings you to this place in the middle of the night? Is everything okay?_" The voice asked, concern evident in its tone.

"Everything's fine." Yuuhi replied hastily, leaning back into the grass. He glanced up at the night sky, eyes unfocused.

"_If everything was fine, why would you come here…?" _

"Is it wrong to visit you now?"

Silence befell Yuuhi and his formless companion. After a while he sat back up and the voice spoke again.

"_Your father's very worried about you, Yuuhi._"

"I know he is. He's just gonna have to wait a bit longer though."

Yuuhi didn't even flinch as a misty fog formed over his shoulder, its form looking like a hand. "_You're torturing him, you know._"

"He deserves it."

"_That's not my great-grandson talking."_

The young man smirked a little. "You're dead, how do you know?"

"_I've lived a little over a hundred years, and I am grateful for it. It was because of that I was able to see my grandson give me you."_

Yuuhi didn't reply. His eyes drifted over to his left arm, an annoyed expression on his face.

"_I was so lucky you were born with the ability to communicate with the dead." _

"You're the lucky one." Yuuhi growled softly, cradling his left arm. "My life started out on top, and it's all downhill from there."

"_You know that's not true, Yuuhi._"

"The past three years is proof of otherwise."

He lay back on the grass, his left arm resting on his chest. Humming a little, he fondly remembered a song he had heard before he had left home all those years ago.

"_I've been spending most of my life, living in the Gangster's paradise…" _

**o.O.o**

"Atemu?"

The spirit king turned to his young partner. It was almost sunrise now, and Yuuhi still had not returned. Atemu was nearby the window, watching the sky turn from inky black to royal purple.

"I'm just curious…what exactly happened?" Yuugi inched his way closer.

"_What do you mean?_" Atemu asked, focusing his red-violet eyes on a spot on the floor.

"Why will Yuuhi…um…'kick the bucket'? You said your son's death will be repeated…why?"

The King slowly took a breath and looked at Yuugi, his eyes emanating limitless sadness.

"_It was my fault…all my fault…_"

**o.O.o**

_It had started when I had returned to my own time all that time ago, after our battle. It was at the time the memory battle had begun, but I had all of the memory I had of you all and then some. I found myself seated at my throne again, surrounded by those I thought long dead. _

_Siamun was by my side, and asked me what was wrong._

"_It is nothing…" I had said. "I had a vision of what would happen in the future…" _

"_And what would happen, my King…?"_

"_A terrible force will awaken, countless lives lost…unless…"_

"_Unless…?"_

_It was then I had remembered that the Puzzle was still around my neck. I cradled it in my hand and took a breath. This decision was going to alter the entire course of history, but I would give anything not to see my closest comrades again._

"…_Unless we destroy the Items."_

_A unanimous gasp rang through the throne room. I looked at their shocked faces, and saw Akunadin; probably he had the most surprised look out of all of them._

"_B-But…Atemu…"_

_It took me a while, but I had made my decision. _

"_My word is law, and I decree that these Millennium Items be __**destroyed**__!"_

_Although reluctant, all the priests except Akunadin obeyed. Each of them surrendered their Items to me. _

_I believe Akunadin thought of me as mad, insane...and in his opinion, unfit to rule. When everyone else was done, he stared at me dumbfounded._

"_You're not our King! Our King would never order our most powerful weapons to be destroyed."_

"_I __**am**__ your King, Akunadin. The Gods had revealed the Truth to me. They had told me that you had secretly plotted to overthrow me and place your own son to the Throne…a son who is actually standing in this room unknowing of his father's actions."_

_Akunadin stumbled back. "How did you—"_

"_Now you question the words of your King, take him away!"_

_The guards hauled Akunadin away. I watched him struggle against their grip, and looked away when one of them ripped the Millennium Eye out of his skull._

_After he was gone, I then explained what was going to happen if the Items continued to exist. They all stared at me in disbelief, but in the end, they took my word of it. _

_I had them melted down in a large pyre, and as they burned, I could almost see the souls imprisoned in them escaping, relishing in their freedom._

_After the fire died, I saw a large mass of melted gold at the base of the basin the fire was in. I had it disposed of...or so I thought…_

**o.O.o**

"What do you mean 'or so you thought'? What happened next?"

"_For a time now, I had thought that was the end of the nightmares…but no…another one started years after…"_

**o.O.o**

_My kingdom prospered as I grew older…wiser. It is not to be considered a kingdom anymore…the proper term would be 'empire'. In those years, as it was the custom of the royal family, I took in a wife, a princess of a conquered land that my empire absorbed. Although she was a captive, I lavished her dearly. My heart truly belonged to her, and in time she grew to love me, and as a token to that, she bore me a son._

_Armon was the perfect candidate to inherit the crown: strong, wise, resourceful, a just and truthful leader…he would have led my empire to be the greatest man had ever seen._

_Until…_

_I made the greatest mistake of my life._

_It was when I had instructed a loyal soldier to be Armon's bodyguard. I was to go away and meet up with the armies in the outskirts of the capital, and left him and my beloved wife behind._

_It was at nightfall when I returned. As soon as I entered, I was assaulted by the smell of blood. My beloved lay in front of me on the floor, her life ripped from her like she was a discarded doll. Armon was nowhere to be found. _

**o.O.o**

Yuugi gulped audibly as the ancient King took a breath. "What happened?" He asked. His voice was shaky, his palms sweating. Part of him wanted to run, never to hear this story again…but the other part—the stronger, bolder part—told him to stay glued to his seat.

"_That soldier was part of a hate movement formed by the followers of Akunadin. He was instructed to command a hostile takeover by infiltrating my palace…making sure that I never suspected him. He succeeded: I trusted him with my family…and he slaughtered them…_"

"So Armon and his mother…"

"_No…Armon escaped._" Atemu replied, his voice laced with despair. "_He blamed the slaughter on me and ran away, vowing never to return again._"

**o.O.o**

_Even with the my entire fleet of armies searching, where he went eluded me for so long…first it was days…then weeks…eventually it turned into three years. In that time the anguish and sorrow drove me into a stupor. I let the kingdom fall to pieces, and the resistance movement grew stronger with my every mistake. What's more, the resistance was able to form an alliance with an invading Roman army, telling them the crucial weaknesses of my armies._

_I knew death was coming, and I awaited it with open arms. _

_The day the Roman armies were able to make it into the palace, I sat there, on the throne, defeated. Fondly I remembered…it was on that very day, Armon would've been ready to take my place, succeed me in ruling this kingdom._

_It was all over now, I thought. I stood from my throne when the Romans burst into the royal throne room, did not struggle when they subdued me._

_It was when they were about to execute me when I heard someone burst through the doors again._

_I looked up. _

**o.O.o**

Yuugi already knew what happened next.

"Armon came back. He confronted the armies…and took your place."

"_He had grown into a magnificent ruler. Nobility, Righteousness, Honor…all that and more flowed through his veins._" Atemu looked away, and focused to a spot in the gradually brightening sky. "_Yet it was all for naught. He sacrificed himself for me, while I let myself sink into a pit of despair_."

Atemu took a breath as Yuugi inched even closer. "_The Gods were not pleased. I left my kingdom to rot, and Armon abandoned his birthright. Because of this, we were both cursed. I was to wander the world…never to rest."_

"That's harsh…"

"_It is nowhere near Armon's punishment, and in a way, worsens mine. In his next life, and however many he has after, he is never to live past eighteen. Even as civilizations live, prosper and die…I will never be given my one true wish: to see Armon succeed me._"

There came the creak of the door opening. Yuuhi strode in, hands in his pockets, looking a little relaxed, like he got something off his chest.

"Yuuhi…" The shorter Mutou called.

"What?"

"How old are you…?"

"I'm almost eighteen."

Yuuhi left the room, leaving a shocked Yuugi behind.

**o.O.o**

**Enjoy, and come on people! At least more than 2 reviews this time!**


	19. Teenagers

Looks like I've finally come around to updating this dang thing huh

**Looks like I've finally come around to updating this dang thing huh?**

**Yes, I know, go ahead and blame me. But the entire summer has been so distracting for me I can't seem to concentrate on stories. Maybe if school starts up again I can get some work done…**

**(Face faults)**

**What can I say? I concentrate best when there's music blasting in my ears, and I work best when I'm multitasking. I am weird, and I am proud of it! **

**Also, I am really psyched with the latest episodes of 5D's and TAS. Why? 5D's got bishie torture!**

**TAS, well, it's LK's work…and that alone is golden!**

**Enough yammering…I think it's time to add a little…'mature'…influence into this fic.**

**o.O.o**

It was early morning when they came.

The sun poked out of the horizon, sending its warm greeting rays out onto the houses in Japan.

And yet ominously, one sleek black limousine cruised up into a luxurious tree-lined mansion, the small flagpoles in the four corners of the vehicle proudly presenting the Japanese flag as it rolled along.

Slowing upon entering the driveway, the limousine so happened to roll over a large blue oval mosaic in the pavement. In the center of this oval, was a large mosaic flower which under it bore Japanese characters that read: '_Naikaku Souri Daijin'. _(1)

Above this mosaic in the asphalt, a set of marble steps led to large, glass double doors guarded on either side by heavily armed soldiers. By the looks of it, they were simply lounging around their posts, talking casually to each other.

As the limousine unloaded its two passengers, the two guards promptly stood at attention and saluted.

"_Souridaijin-sama! Daishou-sama! Ohayo gozaimasu!"_ They greeted in unison.

The taller of the two, wearing a more decorated uniform than those of the guards, saluted back, while the other, wearing a black suit as sleek as the limousine, simply nodded.

The two ascended the steps and entered the double doors. As soon as they were out of earshot, the two guards relaxed and continued their conversation as the limousine parked nearby.

"…I still say it's a little bit of favoritism…" One guard commented, resting his M16 5.56mm caliber rifle against a raised, marble railing. "I mean, they say that _Daishou-sama _and _Souridaijin_-_sama_ have been friends since High School. Maybe _Souridaijin-sama_ put him in office…"

The second guard shook his head and smiled. "Trust your superior when I say this: _Daishou-sama_ was Brigadier General before _Souridaijin-sama_ was appointed into office."

He took off his beret and scratched his head. "Besides, the only bit of favoritism here is that _Daishou-sama_ is _Souridaijin-sama's_ personal bodyguard."

The first soldier took a seat on the railing next to his weapon and wiped a bit of sweat off his brow. "You think _Souridaijin-sama_ will find his kid?"

"Positive, I've seen that kinda kid before…he just needs some time to cool off his jets before running home to daddy."

"_Demo, Koumori-shousa…_It's been almost a year now…"

Major Koumori smirked a little. "If that boy's anything like the _Souridaijin_, he'd be fine even if he'd be stranded in the desert."

**o.O.o**

Inside the guarded mansion, the two visitors from before where walking casually, the taller man's combat boots made loud footfalls on the marble floor. The ignored the vast amounts of large, hand-painted portraits of other men in similar garb to the shorter man's suit, all of them wearing the same emblem as the mosaic on the pavement outside.

Occasionally, an armed guard or two would be seen patrolling the halls, pausing to salute the two of them, to which the taller of the two would salute back. After a while of this, the two entered a pair of mahogany doors with two separate symbols on them.

The left door had the same blue oval as outside, and the right door has five gold stars arranged in a circle.

Once the two doors were closed, the shorter of the two collapsed behind a large mahogany desk and rubbed his temples. "It's getting to be a big pain, being in this job…" He mumbled.

"Hey, someone has to do it." The other said, sitting down on a nearby black leather couch. "Besides, I just said it'd be a good idea if you offered to take the office, no one expected that _Tenno Heika _would appoint you…nor the fact that the entire _Kokkai_ would approve." (2)

"I'm just lucky I guess…" The suited man said with a small smile, looking through the folders on his desk.

"I'd call that you were pretty much destined for this job." The other said with a chuckle. He stood up and moved towards the window, staring out of it, watching the sum come up further.

"…besides…I think Atemu would be proud."

"_Urusai, Jonouchi._"

"Yes, Prime Minister."

**o.O.o**

"Of course, something as great as yesterday was too good to last…"

"Hey, you can only have _one _free day at school…"

Kabuto and Riku both sighed as they got up form their seats for their lunch break. After doing nothing but explore and lounge around the school, their second day back was nothing like its predecessor. Class after class was the obligatory introducing your self to the teacher and the other classmates. The rest of their classmates, supposedly, hardly changed class at all and most knew each other from their Junior High days. Unfortunately, these two didn't have that luxury, and were left isolated and on their own while small clusters of close friends popped up all around the room, chatting happily.

"Guess we have to wait next year again huh?" Kabuto asked lazily, leafing through one of their Science books.

"I guess." Riku replied, taking out a small flash drive around his neck out from under his uniform. "Wanna head for the com lab and play some games?"

Kabuto put down the book and cast Riku a cocked brow. "I don't have a detention wish yet." He stood up and strolled out the door. "I'm headed for the cafeteria, comin' with?"

Riku stood up as well. "Why not, it's no fun cramming a school computer with high-end games on your own."

As they left, one student, Kintaro Kanaguchi, stood up and followed them, glaring hard as Kabuto's back.

**o.O.o**

Out on the campus, Shun Imahara was leaning against a large tree, glaring at anyone so much as breathing his way. Surrounding him were his usual set of flunkies, some of them looking at their leader with a mix of fear and concern.

"Hey, Shun…you okay?" One of them asked.

Shun didn't reply, but shot him a glare that said: '_what do YOU think?!'_

Scowling, he broke eye contact just in time to see Kanaguchi coming up to them. "Well? What's with the blonde?" he barked, crossing his arms.

"No good, boss." Kanaguchi replied, eye twitching as he did so. "He's a Kendo Pro with specialized skills and weaponry."

"_Damn_, there's only one option left…"

"Hmm?"

Shun scanned the crowd through the spaces in between his lackeys. "From the list of people Mutou gave me, the last one with an invite is some rich brat." He pointed toward the entrance to the grounds, at a student reading a large book nearby a bench. "There he is."

"Think we can handle someone like him boss?"

Shun squeezed through the barrier of lackeys, and noticed something large and silver glimmer on the student's belt.

"I don't think we need to…" Shun replied. "If he's _expelled_, then they'll have to give up the ticket to someone else…"

"Huh?"

Shun rolled his eyes at his lackeys' stupidity. "Just come with me…"

He found a roving teacher enjoying his coffee and sat down next to him.

"_Sensei…_" He whispered. "I'd like to report one of the freshmen for concealing a deadly firearm…"

The teacher, a sucker for busting students smuggling illegal items, piqued up. "Oh really? Who is it?" He asked, smirking.

**o.O.o**

At the entrance to the school grounds, Sanryo was casually reading one of their textbooks, an open _bento _box by his side, the food in it half-consumed.

He put down the book and reached for his lunch, but got a very ominous feeling. 

'_Someone's coming up behind me…_' He thought. He readied himself and shifted his position, and he heard whoever it was speak.

"Excuse me…but could I have a word with you?" It said.

Sanryo quickly analyzed the tone of the speaker's voice. '_Confidence, Pride…Authority…it's a teacher._' He picked himself up off the grass and made eye contact with the teacher. He also noticed that Shun's group was behind him, smirking.

"Is there anything wrong, sir?" Sanryo asked courteously, glancing at the onlookers before maintaining eye contact.

"Yes, These Seniors have alerted me that you might be carrying firearms within school grounds?" The teacher said loudly, stirring panicked mutterings among the crowds.

Sanryo discreetly moved his hand to a spot hidden under his uniform jacket. Unfortunately, the teacher saw it, and as an act of humiliation and public embarrassment, he raised his voice even more so.

"Would you please remove your jacket so I can search properly?" He asked, smirking slightly.

Sanryo took a breath. He knew were this is going, and he wasn't going to like the result, but he had to comply. Instead of removing it though, he simply raised the hemline of his jacket to reveal his belt, which had not one, but two Browning 9x19 mm Hi-Power handguns in their respective holsters on either side of his waist.

"I'm fully registered to carry these, sir." Sanryo explained calmly. He watched as the crowd of students, Riku and Kabuto among them, staring at the two pistols with wide and frightened eyes.

The teacher cocked a brow and his smirk grew smaller, gradually getting irritated by Sanryo's lack of fear for being expelled. "Oh really, if you're so special, then tell me your name."

Sanryo nodded slowly. "I'd rather we do this in a private room, sir."

"Why? So there won't be any witnesses? Tell me who you are now, _boy_!"

'_I'd better get ready for the reaction…_' Sanryo thought glumly, looking around in defeat.

"Sanryo Kaiba, sole beneficiary to the Kaiba _Zaibatsu_."

The uproar of gasps that followed was almost as if someone was shot. Yelps, gasps, female exclamations of 'I knew it!' and squeals ruled the school grounds.

The accusing teacher recoiled, and quickly bowed his head repetitively. "I'm so sorry…please, accept my sincerest apologies."

Sanryo just sighed and nodded, the teacher quickly escaping into the crowd afterwards.

Shun was dumbstruck at what happened, after the teacher fled, he too, sought shelter among the bustling faces of the crowds. Riku and Kabuto, also shocked, looked to each other, and approached Sanryo.

"Is that true?" Riku asked. "I mean, the brown-blue combo is kinda common in Domino nowadays."

Sanryo casually looked at them and gave them a questioning glance. "You're not at all intimidated?"

Kabuto raised a hand and grabbed his own neck. "My dad's a Brigadier General. If I got scared of _just_ a corporate giant, he'd have my head on a silver platter."

Sanryo smiled at this. "Glad to hear it. Being in a _Zaibatsu_ family can get very boring and lonely."

"Besides, they say the worst dad to have is one involved in politics." Riku commented.

Suddenly, someone whapped him upside the head, almost sending him recoiling into the dirt. "No badmouthing my father." That person said.

Sanryo looked up. "It's you again…"

Yuuhi cocked a brow at him. "Yeah, me."

Riku rubbed the back of his head gently, and frowned at Yuuhi. "What's with you? Your dad's a judge or something?"

"He's the _Naikaku Souri Daijin_."

Only Riku looked surprised at this revelation.

"The Prime Minister?"

"That's what I said."

Both Sanryo and Kabuto cast their white-haired companion a questioning look.

"So sue me if I don't pay attention to news!" Riku said in his defense.

Sanryo shrugged and turned to Yuuhi. "So, what brings you here…?"

"To tell you what Kageyama told me: There's been an urgent change of plans…The prelims for the WCG start next week, and we need to fly to Tokyo three days before that."

Yuuhi's news was met with startling response.

"What?"

"A week?"

"I thought it wasn't until November!"

"Shut up and let me finish! He misheard the info he got by phone, the end of the Cyber Games is on November first. Prelims start in a week, and over the course of those months, each division of the Cyber Games will be held in different countries."

"Different countries?"

"Which ones?"

"Dunno. I just know that the DBR division is right here in Japan."

"But DBR doesn't happen 'till last…"

"Exactly. It's gonna be a semester-long, international road trip."

"What about school?"

"Kageyama's got it covered. Classes will be videotaped and all homework is waived."

After he was done, Yuuhi turned around and left, leaving the three boys with (strangely) similar thoughts.

'_Dad's not gonna like this…_'

**o.O.o**

**Naikaku Souri Daijin – Translation: Prime Minister of Japan: Transliteration: Prime Minister of the Cabinet**

**Tenno Heika – "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor"**

**Kokkai – The Diet: The Japanese Parliament**

**Enjoy, and leave some reviews! **


	20. Innocent Sorrow

I own the plotline and characters

**I own the plotline and characters. That is all.**

**I hope you guys can forgive me for not updating in a while. What can I say, with my 4****th**** year high school in the works, the teachers think it's funny to pour on the homework on the first day back…it's been a long time since then now, and they still haven't let up.**

**But aside from that, I have had too much on my plate for any leisure time. It's only now I can write this down properly since they suspended classes for a typhoon. **

**EDIT: Yet even the typhoon isn't enough to write this all down…**

**o.O.o**

_**Yuugi's POV**_

It was late at night. Everyone else with me was already asleep. I kept looking out the window, staring at the white full moon.

It was depressing, being here, yet I knew I had a mission. Atemu was counting on me, but I didn't know what to do.

It was yesterday that I found out I had a deadline. Yuuhi is seventeen now…who knew when his birthday…or to put it precisely, his death day…would be.

Even now I wonder…If I was supposed to do something, why were we wasting time here? Why didn't we just go out there, fix this and end it all?

I began to think of Grandpa. If thirty years passed, he'd be 102 now…was he even still alive…?

I rested my head in my hand. Maybe he wasn't alive…maybe that's why Yuuhi is the way he is…some days, way back when Jonouchi still picked on me, my line of thinking was a little akin to _Kaiba-kun. _It was only Grandpa's guidance that kept me optimistic…

It was that day that my optimism paid off…that day I solved the Puzzle.

I heard some shifting behind me and watched as Yuuhi slide into his room. I didn't even notice he was awake. Silently, I made my way towards the door, which was ajar just enough for me to peek through the crack.

From my point of view, I was able to clearly see him searching out something in a large, dusty chest. My curiosity grew and I inched the door a little wider.

I saw him fish out what looked like a sleeker, more metallic version of a Duel Disk from it and gently place it on his bed. He straightened and looked at it, holding onto his left arm.

I clearly noted in my mind how hungrily he looked at that Disk…the longing in his eyes shining through like fog lights, as if he had yearned for it all his life...

Slowly, he removed his jacket, revealing his heavily scarred, patchwork left arm. I cringed slightly at the sight of all those scars, thinking of the excruciating hours of surgery that took…and what horrifying incident caused them…

After I gathered myself, I looked on to see him slowly raise the Disk with his right arm, and position his left in order to strap it into place. Ever so slowly he slipped the Disk on, but as soon as he shifted all of its weight onto his left arm, his face scrunched up in pain. It was unbearable by the look on his face, and by the way his scars were beginning to turn red, it was too much weight for his arm to handle.

Suddenly, one of his scars ripped open, the stitches holding it together coming undone and making blood run down his arm and stain the silver surface of the disk. As soon as he saw the red liquid coming out, he ripped off the Disk and gently tossed it onto his bed. Grabbing the nearest piece of clothing he could find, he swiftly wrapped it around the scar in a motion that stated he did that often.

"Damn it…" He cursed under his breath, cradling his bleeding arm with his right hand. Tightening the wrapping around the bleeding scar, he stowed the Disk back into the chest, making doubly sure not to hold it with his left hand.

"I never thought I'd go back to the Cyber Games…" He said to himself. "Not after this…"

He flexed his left arm for emphasis and looked at the scars, a disgusted look on his face.

"This is your damn fault…" He hissed, glaring at a nearby mirror. "This is what you get for thinking you even needed _friends…_" At the last word, he slammed his right fist into the wall next to the mirror.

He turned to face the mirror fully, his expression ever so serious.

"_Friends _gave me this arm…" He told himself. "I won't _ever_ make that mistake again."

**o.O.o**

Deep underground, inside a large steel hangar, the sounds of drills, hammers, and clangs of metal against metal rang off the cold walls as a lone figure went about his business, circling a large, sleek blue machine, stopping every now and then to check up on his previous handiworks. The machine itself could barely function, its various parts and devices rusted solid after years of neglect.

The person ducked under a large part of the machine, checking if the engine under it was still functioning. As soon as he straightened up again, he let out a sneeze, which echoed loudly off the cold steel walls.

"It's cold in here...around fifty, maybe." He said to himself, wiping his nose with his sleeve. As his hand touched his face, he vaguely noticed that his face felt a little warm. "Must be the weather…"

He put down a soldering gun and a wrench, and looked back at the machine.

"It won't be long till this thing sees the skies again…" he said to himself.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. In a flash, he whirled around, ripping his handgun from its holster and taking aim…

…right at Isono's forehead.

Rather than looking shocked, Sanryo just cast his trusted caretaker a look of amused defeat. "Admit it; you've caught me doing weirder things than this." He stated simply.

"That I have Ryo."

"What're you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing? Master Ryo, you've been down here in a private basement, and it's four thirty in the morning!" Isono scolded back, reaching up to brush away the handgun pointing at his face.

As soon as he felt Sanryo's hand, his eyes widened, and the same hand went up to his charge's forehead.

"What the—?"

"You have a fever, Ryo."

Without another word, he grabbed Sanryo's hand and dragged him out of the hangar.

**o.O.o**

Once in front of Sanryo's room, Isono let go. The young brunet massaged his wrist, frowning at Isono.

"You didn't have to drag me the whole—mmph!" He tried to say angrily, before a thermometer was shoved into his mouth.

"Under the tongue, Ryo." Isono ordered curtly.

A shocked Sanryo blinked a few times, before casting his caretaker a cocked eyebrow.

"You heard me Sanryo." This time, there was an air of finality in the way Isono said Sanryo's name. The brunet rolled his eyes, defeated.

Isono lead his young charge into the room, and ordered him to get into bed, which was untouched and made neatly. Isono frowned at Ryo, and gestured to the window, which revealed that the sky was beginning to brighten, and was hued a beautiful light purple.

"You stayed up the whole night?"

Sanryo shrugged, taking out the thermometer and letting out another sneeze. "When I'm in the middle of something, you know I lose track of time."

The caretaker swiped the thermometer away and looked at its reading. "This is a very high fever, Ryo. Get to bed and go to sleep. I'll tell your father."

At that mention, Sanryo began to look worried. "Are you sure, Isono? _Chichioya-sama _won't like the sound of that. He might let you go…"

"Do you think he would let someone with all of his secrets go?"

With that said Isono turned and left, leaving Sanryo in his room, an amused smile on the young brunet's face.

"There is a fine line between a diligent caretaker and an obsessive father wannabe." He said under his breath.

As Isono rounded a corner, Sanryo could've sworn that he had a smile on his face.

**o.O.o**

It was early morning. Yuuhi slowly raised his head from the pillow it was resting on, and slowly let it down again. '_My head…_' He thought bitterly, raising his right arm and massaging his forehead. Absently, he rolled over to his left side, and let out a sharp hiss of pain.

"Damn…" he whispered. "Forgot about last night…"

He steadily got to his feet, careful not to put any more weight on his left side or to move his head too much. The room was spinning, his head was throbbing, and the handkerchief that he tied around his arm was deeply soaked in red, along with the spot on his bed where it rested.

He growled softly, before opening the bedside table drawer and taking out a syringe, a small glass bottle and a long thin rubber band. With his remaining hand and his mouth, he tied the rubber band securely to his left arm, drew some of the liquid within the bottle into the syringe and positioned his right hand over his left.

The tip of the needle was about to pierce his skin when Yuugi entered the room. "What are you doing?!"

He was took a step towards Yuuhi but stopped when he saw the glare he was receiving.

"Relax!" Yuuhi barked, wincing at the pitch of Yuugi's yelp. "It's a prescribed drug."

Yuugi glanced at the syringe in Yuuhi's hand suspiciously. The latter rolled his eyes and put it down. "It's coagulant, happy?"

"Coagulant…?"

"He's a Hemophiliac."

Both Mutous turned towards the doorway, where Seto stood nonchalantly.

"Exactly."

"What's a Hemophiliac?"

Seto glanced toward the syringe. "Those who suffer from Hemophilia." He said in a monotone. "Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that inhibits blood clotting. When a Hemophiliac receives an injury, however minor, it would take days or even weeks to heal…"

"…Or in my case, never heal at all." Yuuhi finished for him.

Upon hearing these words, Yuugi lowered his head. "It's genetic…?"

"Yuugi, I know you don't have his problem, so it's obvious the carrier is his mother…whoever she is."

"I don't blame her." Yuuhi said, stabbing the syringe into his arm with a wince. "I don't blame anybody for this."

'_I know that's not true…_' Yuugi thought. '_I heard him last night…_'

"Although…" Seto pondered, his eyes roving down to the open scar. "How did that old wound open up again…?"

At this point Yuuhi was already out the door, carrying his school jacket and a fresh handkerchief.

"Ask the midget there, he saw everything last night."

Yuuhi closed the door behind him leaving Seto staring at his rival, eyebrow raised.

**o.O.o**

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir. The fever is high; sneezing occasionally…he is unfit for school today."

"And what did he do to merit all this?"

Isono stayed silent, staring at the back of a large, royal blue wingback chair which was facing the fireplace. The fire was crackling happily, making the chair just a pitch black silhouette against it.

"I'm not sure how…but he found your jet, sir."

A sudden shifting sound made Isono even tenser than he usually was around the _Zaibatsu_. He saw his boss stand up from the chair and stand next to it, staring him down.

"What?" The _Zaibatsu_ whispered, the all-too-familiar royal blue eyes narrowing dangerously.

Isono drew a breath. "I don't know how he did it. But he opened the underground hangar, and stayed there the whole night, refurbishing it."

The _Zaibatsu _stood silent for a moment, and turned away, letting out a sigh. "Typical…" He said, crossing his arms.

"Excuse me sir?"

"It's typical for him to start fixing it." The _Zaibatsu _stated curtly, staring into the fire. "It's like him to fiddle and tinker with an old machine such as that."

"Aren't you at all worried?" Isono asked cautiously, taking a step closer.

"I was going to tell him about it sooner or later."

"But sir—"

"Leave him be and make sure he gets well. And make sure he stays on the premises while I'm out."

Isono nodded solemnly, the light of the fire reflecting off his sunglasses. "You know this can't last forever…" he said.

"What?"

"You…keeping him in here, confined...it will never last forever."

"What are you implying, Isono?"

The _Zaibatsu _shortened the space between him and his employee, and as soon as they were face to face, Isono raised his sunglasses, to reveal aged, wizened, almost black eyes staring into their royal blue adversaries.

"It is not proper to contain a young dragon chained. Let him be free to spread his wings…"

After that, Isono bowed himself out.

Alone in the room, the _Zaibatsu _sat back down in his wingback chair, looking up at the mantle above the fireplace. Resting on it, in a glass case, was an old model Duel Disk, and looped around it was an old locket. "I've let go of two things in my lifetime…" He said softly, standing up and resting his hand against the case.

"…can I let go of something dear to me again?"

**o.O.o**

**Enjoy yourselves peeps! I have more schoolwork to finish…**

**(rolls eyes)**


	21. Viva La Vida

My characters, my plot…enough said

**My characters, my plot…enough said.**

**I feel really alone right now… (Sighs) Not much attention over on the review side…don't talk to my online friends much…I mean, if I didn't get pep talk from Bri, I'd have called it quits a long time ago…**

**Here's to whoever's reading this: **

_**Thanks a lot for stickin' with me. It means a lot.**_

**o.O.o**

_**Tokyo City, Japan**_

_**10: 35 A.M.**_

**o.O.o**

Mark wasn't the kind of guy to get scared easily. With the multitudes of blood and zombie filled video games that he played to the point of winning last year's Cyber Games, this was a blatant and obvious point of that. As far as he knew, he had no fears. He absently went through a list of common fears in his mind out of sheer boredom to prove it. Is it fear of heights? No, when he, his dad and his sister strayed out of their country, like now, they'd stay on the highest penthouse suite the hotel could offer, and he would always have the window seat on the plane to look out at the awesome view of the clouds. Was it fear of needles? No, he'd been to a few acupuncture sessions on the demand of his sister, yes they were uncomfortable, but he wasn't scared. Fear of wild animals? No, he enjoyed the African safaris that he went to, watching the wild animals hunt down prey.

Perhaps there was one fear that he had…

"Kasi, send him in."

"Yes, sir."

The fear of screwing up in the eyes of the Cyber Games Director.

The CEO of the Cyber Games Association, or as he preferred to be called, 'The Director', had it in his own obligation to personally speak to the Cyber Games' Champion about tactics for the next one, and he would always support his champion until he was defeated. Of course, he would never purposely make so that the Champion would win, but he _**does**_ control everything about the Cyber Games, from the venue, to the equipment, and to the games themselves. But no, this wasn't the only reason why he was scared of the Director. He is also a very enigmatic man. He had a perpetual smile that seemed to say that there was something going on behind his grey-blue eyes that he was to find out when the time was right. And, during his meetings with him several times in the past, whenever he would ask something about the next tournament or the Titan, he would always look him straight in the eye, unblinkingly, and look away, grinning. "We'll see…" he would always answer.

Mark shivered. Yes, the director creeped him out, but Mark also respected him above all other people he knew. Not only was it because he was the Cyber Games Champion and that the Director was the reason there was a Cyber Games in the first place. It was also because he is the _**only**_person _in the world_ to know the true identity of the Titan.

Mark approached the double oak doors that separated him from the director. He had arrived from his home in Las Vegas at his call, saying that there was a very abrupt change in plans and that the Cyber Games was starting earlier than usual. He brushed the silver-blonde bangs away from his lavender eyes. What was so urgent that he needed to see him?

'One way to find out…' he thought and opened the door.

"Director?"

"Come in Mark, I need to have a word with you…" The director called in his accented English.

Mark walked in and stifled a yawn. "Sorry, I'm still a little jet lagged." He plopped down into his usual seat in front of the black desk with the Cyber Games Logo emblazoned in brass. The Director, as usual was seated behind it, hands on the desk in a serious manner.

"That's fine."

"What did you want to tell me in person, sir?"

At this, the director stood up and moved towards the window, looking out it. "I'm sorry for calling you over from the United States; it is just that I need to start the Cyber Games prematurely."

Mark nodded, he had heard of this on the phone. "I know…why?"

At this, the director turned around and flashed his mysterious smile. "He's back." He said simply.

Mark was stumped. Furrowing his brow, it took him a minute to register the message. "No. Way." He breathed, shock on his face.

"I'm not lying. The Prodigal King has returned to claim his throne."

"The _**Titan**_…_**back**_?!" Mark exclaimed, leaping from his seat.

"Yes, he's going to enter this year's Cyber Games…and this time…he has brought reinforcements."

Mark was still shocked to hear that the Titan was returning, there were long pauses before every reply. "Come again?" 

"This year's Cyber Games is a team competition. The team minimum is four…and he has found three very capable allies."

Mark didn't speak; he just stared at the Director, who decided to continue.

"I still can't tell you who he is. But here is the real reason I called you here. As far as I know, you don't have a team yet. I suggest that you—"

"Of _**course**_I'll team up with the Titan!" Mark exclaimed, even louder than before. "Is he here in Japan? Can I go see him? Will I get to fight him?"

The current Champion continued to babble questions, and the Director raised a hand to silence him. "I didn't say you were going to team up with him; that would be _**his**_decision. I suggest that you go to his hometown and try to persuade him to let you on his team."

"Oh…okay, then I'll try!" Mark was halfway to the door when the stopped and turned around. "But what about my…"

"Don't' worry, I've spoken with your father, he has given your permission. My personal copter will take you to a hotel room I put up for you in Domino."

Mark's blank expression slowly grew into a wide grin. "Thank you so much, Director! You won't regret this!" He started toward the door, when the Director stopped him again.

"Oh, and while you're there…tell my nephew I said hello."

Mark blinked, nodded, and left the office.

The Director returned to his seat, and opened a drawer, revealing a letter from Kageyama.

"So, Prodigal King…I suppose you did miss ruling the world. I guess the draw of your birthright was too strong…" He took out the letter and scanned through it, smiling his mysterious smile, his messy black hair shielding his grey-blue eyes.

"The world is different without you…It's about time you came back…the three years before made me relive my times with _nii-sama_…"

**o.O.o**

_**Domino City Japan**_

_**4:30 P.M.**_

**o.O.o**

The grounds outside the school were as loud as usual, with the ever-present chatter of the students clustered there. Kabuto and Riku both were somewhere in the midst of it, talking about the abrupt change of schedule they heard yesterday.

"Why do you think though?" Riku was asking. He was on the school bench, lying down on it staring up at the leaves of the tree that Kabuto was leaning on, his books scattered around him, most written on with small additional notes in the margins.

"Who knows…I've heard that the Cyber Games Director is a crazed up fruit loop." Kabuto replied, jotting down another answer into his Science homework. "Maybe he switched the dates just for the heck of it."

"Shows what you know." Said a gruff voice from somewhere above him. Both boys looked up at saw Yuuhi staring down at them. "The Director may be hard to figure out, but he's a genius…one of the best people out there."

Before they could get a word in edgewise, Yuuhi turned on his heel and walked into the crowd.

"What was that about…?" Riku asked, pushing himself up.

Kabuto closed his book. "I'm not sure…but it sounded like he _knew _the Director…"

"How do you figure…?"

"The tone of his voice, it was one of speaking of experience."

At this moment, Riku recalled something. "By the way, when I checked my games in the com lab, someone beat out your top scores, Kabu…"

The aforementioned blond's head snapped to his friend. "What? How's that possible? They were all at the 9 million score mark!"

The white-haired boy nodded. "I know…but someone topped it out to the most sought after score ever: the Line of Nines." (1)

Kabuto's eyes seemed to bug out behind his glasses. "The Line of Nines? Not even I got that high!"

Riku put his hands on Kabuto's shoulders. "I know Kabu, don't go crazy on me. But here's the thing: before I found out, I noticed Yuuhi coming out of the Com lab just before I went in. Now, when I got in there after he got out, there was no one else in there…and the scores were all at the Line of Nines."

Kabuto's brow furrowed as he pushed up his glasses. His long blond locks curtained over his eyes as he bowed his head.

"Well, Kabu? What's in your head?"

As the blond looked up at Riku, his eyes sparked of discovery. "It may be a long shot…but I think _**Yuuhi**_ is the long lost Titan."

Before Riku could reply, there was a loud thud and someone yelping. Kabuto snapped to the spot under the tree where he left all his books, and sure enough, someone was on the ground nearby them.

Now, this someone was quite odd in this area. For one, he was wearing civilian clothes, what more, the clothes he was wearing were quite peculiar for a country like Japan. He wore a bright purple hoodie jacket with long sleeves, with the hood over his head and shielding his eyes. His pants were a little baggy, and of white denim, blotched with faux dirt stains. Another was that from what skin they could see (his hands and ankles) he had a deep brown tan. 

"Ow…who left the ground here…?" he muttered in English.

Not thinking twice, Kabuto knelt down and helped him up. "You okay?" He asked in English.

The hooded man raised his head to him. Only the lower half of his face was showing, but there was a little sliver of silver-blond hair peeking out from the hood. "Finally, someone here who can speak my language!" He said, smiling.

'Where have I heard that voice before…?' Kabuto asked himself as he helped the hooded man up, but in doing so, he accidentally raised the hood to reveal a bit of the man's face. The blond stared at the man's face, in shock.

"Whoa...Mark Ishtar?"

Before he could say anything else, Mark held Kabuto in a headlock, his hand slapped over his mouth. "Shh!" He hissed. "I have no idea how to talk my way out of a horde of Japanese reporters!"

"You should worry about the fans…" Riku commented in Japanese, sniggering at Kabuto's position.

Kabuto nodded hastily, and Mark let him go. The blond ran a hand through his hair and straightened his glasses. "I wasn't going to say anything…" He said. "But…what is the Cyber Games Champion doing here…?"

Mark put the hood up over his head and gestured them to come closer.

"I was told to head for Japan because the Director said that the Titan was in this town, and he's got a team ready to storm this year's Cyber Games."

Kabuto nodded. "Sounds reasonable…but why _here_?"

"The Director says this is his school…"

Kabuto and Riku looked to each other. Mark caught their looks and raised a brow. "What's up?"

Riku nodded to Kabuto, and then turned to the tanned Champion.

"We think we know who the Titan is…"

**o.O.o**

In the shed hidden in the school grounds, Yuuhi leaned against _Black Blaze_, looking up at the ceiling. He had taken off his jacket, and draped it over a small window to shield him from view. He had a can of soda in one hand, and a rag in the other.

"Should I even do this?" He asked himself, looking to his left arm again. The handkerchief he wrapped around it was half-soaked with blood, but the blood had dried a long while ago.

He let out a sigh and turned on an old battery radio on the ground next to the wall. Taking a breath, he picked up the rag and started to shine his bike, letting the song blend into the background.

"_I used to rule the world…  
Seas would rise when I gave the word…  
Now in the morning I sleep alone,  
Sweep the streets I used to own…_

I used to roll the dice,  
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes…  
Listen as the crowd would sing:  
'Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!'

One minute I held the key  
Next the walls were closed on me…  
And I discovered that my castles stand…  
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand…"

The radio began to buzz out the song. Disgruntled, Yuuhi got up and hit the radio with a wrench, which fixed the buzzing out after a moment.

_  
"It was the wicked and wild wind  
Blew down the doors to let me in.  
Shattered windows and the sound of drums  
People could not believe what I'd become…_

_  
Revolutionaries wait…  
for my head on a silver plate.  
Just a puppet on a lonely string…  
Oh, who would ever want to be king?"_

**o.O.o**

**(1) Line of Nines: when a video game's number range is at its maximum, it would show a line of the number nines. Its length depends on how many digits there are. (99, 999, 99,999 or 999,999,999)**

**Hope you enjoy this! **


	22. Step to Me

My story, my characters, my plot

**My story, my characters, my plot.**

**I am very thankful for the new reader traffic function on ffnet. At least I know I'm not being ignored by people all around the world... well, anyway, here's the latest installment, and here I hope it'll be enjoyable and exciting.**

**o.O.o**

It was like any other day that he was there. The room was deathly quiet. Even the slightest sound, like the soft crunch of the bearings of his chair as he rolled closer to his desk, seemed amplified a hundredfold. The _click-click_ of the computer keys sounded more like firecrackers to him. Every word on the screen appearing with lightning speed as his long, nimble fingers flew across the keyboard. To him, this was serene silence, a small simple luxury that he seemed to have lost decades ago. Yes, the sweet serenity of a peaceful day to himself...how much he had longed for something like this, the simple pleasure that seemed like it was the most treasured thing in the world.

He pushed away from his desk, letting out a suppressed breath. '_Almost finished..._' He thought with a smile, looking up at the clock. Was it 5 o'clock already? The smile on his face lessened a little. '_He must be home by now..._' He rested his eyes for a while before turning to the computer screen. The numerous lines of code that he was writing seemed to populate the entire of the black screen he was typing on, and because of this he smiled. Five straight days of encoding syntaxes, setting parameters, and minute after minute of sitting, and now he was finally done.

"Better get home..." He said to himself, standing up from the chair, and pausing as the numbness from prolonged nonuse of his legs began to fade. As soon as it was gone, he gathered the multitudes of paper and books from his desk into a briefcase and started for the door. He reached for the slender brass knob, eager to leave and return home, where his son was waiting for him.

But, as he opened the door, his secretary was on the other side, also grasping the knob. A soft '_oh_' escaped her lips as the five foot four secretary looked up at her boss' lanky, five foot nine frame.

"Sorry, sir." She apologized meekly, blushing red around the cheeks. "But there's a call waiting for you."

He tilted his head to the side, completely perplexed. Blinking once, he tried to recall if there were any meetings that he had missed over the course of the week. Coming up empty handed, he spoke to his secretary.

"Who is it from?"

"He would not give his name, but he said that he needed to speak to you in private." She reported, glancing off to the side afterwards. "It's strange...but it's like I've heard his voice before..." She gave him a cordless receiver, bowed slightly, and scurried off, leaving her boss to his call.

Once alone, he raised the receiver to his ear as he closed the door. "Who is this?" He asked, somewhat politely, his vexation leaking through the mask.

"_We need to talk._"

He was caught off guard, not because of the bluntness of whoever was on the phone with him, but because of_ who_ was on the phone, along with the urgency of his voice.

"What happened?"

"_Bakura, It's about Riku. Come to our usual rendezvous point. This issue has to be dealt with."_

**o.O.o**

'_When I figure out who's following me, there will be __**hell **__to deal with!'_ Yuuhi thought bitterly, resting _Black Blaze _against a tree trunk. As soon as he stepped out of his protective little shed and walked it out of the school grounds, he had the annoying, nagging feeling that someone, or _some people _for that matter, have been tailing him. The feeling of being eyed was common for the seventeen-year-old, but for it to endure for this long, even when he was at least a mile away from the school, in the large spacious Domino Park, was beginning to be suspicious. Knowing a full confrontation would probably end in a brawl, and with his left arm still bleeding, albeit not as intensely as earlier, he decided best to ignore it. Rolling his eyes, he stood up and mounted _Black Blaze _again. Sure enough, he heard some rustling in the bushes somewhere behind him. He cocked his head, and the rustling stopped abruptly.

'_Whoever they are, they have really annoying persistency...'_

Before he could kick start his bike, he spotted someone far off into the distance.

"Hmm...looks like someone decided to play a little hooky today...why didn't I think of that...?"

He kicked out the stand and dismounted, casually strolling away, hands in his pockets.

**o.O.o**

"I'm sorry to trouble you in all this..."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, we want to prove this for ourselves..."

Mark nodded with relief as he pulled the hood of his jacket lower over his eyes. His lavender orbs rapidly shifted left and right, a nervous wreck from the numerous close calls he had of being discovered. Twice he had been spotted by roving freelance reporters, but was spared an impromptu interview when Kabuto shielded him from view when the reporters doubled back.

Riku brought up the rear of their small stalking party, casually aloof as Kabuto and Mark followed Yuuhi wherever he went. Personally, he didn't care who the Titan really was. All that really mattered was if the Titan was really the masterful gamer that the legends hold up. He tilted his head to the side and remembered one time he had seen the Titan during one of those televised parts of the Cyber Games. He vaguely remembered that back then, the Titan was roughly five feet tall, which was strange for a fourteen-or-so year old.

"Can I go home now?" He deadpanned in a whisper, lightly glaring at Kabuto. "My dad might be home soon..."

"_Riku_!" Kabuto hissed, raising a finger to his lips. "We're on to something here!"

"Yeah." Riku replied in a hushed tone. "We're on to the point that one wrong move could give us tire treads on our backs."

At this point, both Mark and Kabuto hushed him. Rolling his eyes, Riku raised his head to see where Yuuhi was heading off to, and from there, he slowly stood up.

"Riku! _What are you doing_?" Kabuto hissed, tugging on his shirt.

"Take it easy." Riku hissed back. "I think he's out of earshot."

At that, both Mark and Kabuto cautiously stepped out of the bushes, dusting themselves off. Perplexed at where their target has gone off too, they scanned the impending landscape until Kabuto spotted them.

"There he is."

"Who's that with him?"

"What the...is that Ryo?"

**o.O.o**

"_...I don't wanna wake up one day, and find out it's too late...to do all the things I wanna do. So I'm gonna pack up my bags, I'm never coming back! 'Cause the years are passing by...and I've wasted all my t-t-time..."_

Sanryo plucked out one of his earpieces and looked up when he saw the immediate area around him suddenly grow dimmer that it usually was.

"Fancy seeing you here..." He heard someone say above him.

Yuuhi crossed his arms as Sanryo got up from his spot under a large tree, closing his book. Judging by the grass stains on the light grey pants he was wearing, he had to have been there for at least an hour.

"What happened? Thought you were too smart for school today?" Yuuhi asked him, eyebrow raised.

The brunet simply pocketed the book and paused his Ipod, plucking out the other earpiece. "Not exactly..." He replied casually, scanning the landscape behind Yuuhi, a slightly worried look on his face.

The shorter teen caught the minute emotion on the other's features. "Are you hiding from someone?" He asked in a whisper.

"In a sense..." Sanryo replied, pocketing the small book. "I'd rather _a certain someone_ not know I was out of my home today."

"Bodyguard?" Yuuhi deadpanned.

"Is it that obvious?"

Yuuhi turned around and surveyed the area. "If it helps, I'm being watched as well. Ever since I left school, I've had the feeling that I'm being followed."

"You have been followed, actually." Sanryo said matter-of-factly. "Think they're hiding over there..."

He pointed to a few trees clustered together in the immediate distance, where quite a few leaves ceased rustling. Yuuhi's eyes narrowed ominously as he slowly walked toward the trees, Sanryo following a considerable distance behind him.

"Get out here, whoever you guys are!" Yuuhi barked angrily, glaring at the shadowed spots in the cluster. "What do you want from me?"

It was a few moments before Riku emerged from the underbrush, not the least bit scared. "Just some info." He replied ever so casually.

Yuuhi just cocked an eyebrow at him. Knowing of Riku's online reputation, he kept his gaze on the white-haired teen.

"Info on _what_, exactly?"

Riku looked around, and Yuuhi did the same. The clearing that the three had ventured into was very secluded, with a wall of trees protective them from all sides. Satisfied with the area's privacy, Riku approached the other two cautiously, eyeing Yuuhi's borderline enraged expression with frantic concern.

"Okay, personally I don't believe him, and even if I did, I don't really care, but he thinks you're the Titan from three years ago."

Sanryo looked genuinely surprised as his gaze snapped to the aforementioned teen's unmoving form. Yuuhi didn't respond, both in word and in action, and just continued to stare Riku down with unwavering plum purple orbs.

One second turned into two, and then three. None of the three moved from their respective spots. After what seemed like an eternity, Yuuhi discreetly brushed his left arm with his right hand, as if remembering something that used to be there...

"What's his basis?" Yuuhi hear Sanryo ask all of a sudden, and all eyes turned to the brunet. Sanryo, being a person of critical analysis, even if it concerned the paranormal or the magical, would consistently demand feasible evidence to prove concepts. And of course, those who knew of his lineage also knew of his innate debating skills. A moment passed before Sanryo spoke again. "Not to say it couldn't be true, but what proof does he have to confirm this?"

Riku shrugged his shoulders. "He has his reasons...the games I installed into the com lab all had the line of nines on them, and I saw Yuuhi leave the lab minutes after the scores were discovered."

Sanryo approached Riku, with the air of a confident lawyer presenting his case to the Supreme Court. "That is suggestive, but what if it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? What if you didn't see the real Titan leave and Yuuhi enter?"

Unbeknownst to the arguing teens, Yuuhi turned around and frowned. "The nerve..." He muttered under his breath.

"And besides, Kabuto and I talked to Yuuhi, and he says that with the way Yuuhi talked about him, it was like he knew the Director personally."

Yuuhi raised his brow as he watched Sanryo finger the Ipod hanging around his neck. "Hmm..."

"I hate to be the person to burst your bubble," Sanryo stated nonchalantly, running a hand through his hair. "But I know the Director personally as well, but I am definitely not the Titan."

Riku smirked at him. "And how do you prove _that_, Ryo?"

"The video footage of the last Cyber Games the Titan attended. From it I can accurately deduce that the Titan was 5'4 at the time. I'm 6 ft. on the dot, and no one, not even the Titan, can grow that much in a span that short."

Riku frowned, at a loss for a rebuttal. But instead of surrendering the debate, he quickly changed the subject.

"How do you know the Director then, hmm?"

Sanryo blinked. Riku gazed at him questioningly as the brunet looked around the area, a worried expression crossing his features. When he was sure there was no one eavesdropping, he took a breath. "I know him personally because he's my uncle."

"You're the Director's nephew?" Someone exclaimed in English.

Everyone attention snapped to the bushes where Riku emerged, to see Mark standing in it, completely shocked.

"Champion Mark Ishtar I presume..." Sanryo greeted in English, eyebrow raised.

Before Mark could reply, Kabuto emerged from the bushes as well. "Thanks for blowing our cover..." He scowled in Japanese.

While all this commotion was going on, Yuuhi took a few steps in reverse before turning around and walking away. Unfortunately, Kabuto saw him before he could make his escape.

"Hey! I'm not done with you yet, Yuuhi!" He called out, pointing a finger accusingly at him.

Yuuhi casually looked over his shoulder at the blond, a bored expression on his face. "But I'm done dealing with you, _Golden Samurai_."

Kabuto took a step back, stunned. "How'd you—"

"I know everything you guys did back in the past, and what they called you then." He turned around to face them fully, his eyes narrowed and piercing each of them like knives. "Like how whitey there is the 'Death Angel' of Ragnarok PVP."

Mark, who had been standing next to Riku, seemed to leap back a mile. "You're the Death Angel?" He yelped. "I thought that was just a legend!"

Even Sanryo began to be convinced. Cautiously, he took a step toward the short teen. "How do you know this?"

Kabuto broke from the crowd. "It's like I said. Yuuhi is the Titan. It was obvious, looking at the Titan's 'name'."

This time it was Mark who looked disapproving. "How's that so?"

"Think of it. The Titan called himself 'Taiyou-set'. 'Taiyou' is Japanese for 'sun'; therefore it would make it 'sun-set'. And what is the Japanese word for 'sunset'?"

No one answered that question. No one needed to answer it. None of the five boys moved, but they continued to stare each other down, Yuuhi outnumbered four to one. After what seemed like forever, Yuuhi turned away, smirking.

"Follow me." He said simply, and started walking away once more.

"What?" Kabuto asked angrily, stepping forward a few steps.

Yuuhi stopped, still facing away from them. "You have set out to find your King, and you have succeeded." He said, without turning back.

"So, that means..."

"You say you have searched for the Prodigal King, but for what purpose: To eliminate him in order to gain the throne yourselves, or to serve under him and give him back his crown?"

A moment of silence passed as the last sentence sunk in, and it sunk in deep. No one moved, no one spoke, no one even breathed...

Until...

"I have searched you out to reinstate you, my King."

Everyone looked to Mark. He had removed his hood, and moved forward toward Yuuhi. His gaze unwavering, Yuuhi turned around to face him fully, plum eyes meeting lavender ones.

"I have taken your place on the throne, Lord Titan." Mark began, bowing slightly. "But I know my true place. I merely defend it against those who do not deserve it. I beg for your return, Lord Titan, so that I may serve under you, if you are merciful as to spare me your wrath."

Yuuhi stared at everyone. "I know of your identities, and you all know of mine. It seems that we are at equilibrium. Can I trust you to not speak of this to anyone outside this clearing?"

The other three did not speak. They only stared at Yuuhi and Mark in disbelief.

"Can I?" Yuuhi asked again, his eyes narrowing again.

"You can trust me." Riku answered, stepping forward. "I care not for your identity, nor the fame it brings whoever bears it. All I seek is the thrill of the battle only that grand Arena brings its warriors. Take me to that battlefield, Titan. For that request alone, I shall be eternally grateful."

Yuuhi smirked, and nodded. "Very well..." He replied.

Kabuto pushed up his glasses, and picked up a long stick on the ground. Holding it like a sword, he brought it up to his face, and then brought it down swiftly – the gesture of a knight's salute.

"To be able to fight by the Titan's side is the greatest honor a warrior like me can receive – If you will have me of course." He stated, letting the stick go.

With Sanryo the only one left, Yuuhi stepped toward him and stopped until they were a foot apart. Like thirty years ago, purple and blue eyes locked focus.

"Do you know of your father's history, Sanryo?" Yuuhi asked.

"Yes, I do."

"Are you aware of your father's rivalry with mine?"

"I am."

"Are you aware that we are at the same crossroads that they were at when they first met?"

"Yes."

"My father chose one path, yours another, even though they were approaching different destinations, the paths they took were intertwined with each other. I will be taking the path my father took. Will you?"

There was a pause. The two didn't speak, but continued to stare into the other's eyes. Riku, Kabuto and Mark stared on until...

"No."

The corner of Yuuhi's lip seemed to curl ever so minutely. "What path will you take?"

"No man, not even my father, can dictate where I can go. I will forge my own path to the future, one brick stone at a time."

There was a pause as Sanryo fingered his Ipod again, a small smile on his face. Yuuhi smiled as well, already knowing Sanryo's answer.

"Will you allow me to accompany you until I decide to forge my own path?"

"I shall, but I have one rule, which you all must follow..."

"Which would be?"

Yuuhi started walking, past Sanryo, and towards the exit of the clearing. When at the very edge, he looked back, his plum purple eyes shone against the setting sun.

"If you lag behind, you're left behind."

**o.O.o**

**Enjoy the latest update people! **


	23. Headlines

**If you're wondering about the new format, that's because of my Microsoft Word not wanting to open up. I have no idea for what reason, but I have to deal with it until I figure out how to update chapters without it. For now, I hope you'll excuse any typos and/or grammar errors, because I'm used to the Spell Checker.**

**Anyway, here's the latest chapter, enjoy.**

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

There are some things that you don't want to change, but they have to.

It seemed like just yesterday that this part of the bustling megatropolis that is Domino City was alive with people, places and events. He used to remember days when you couldn't see the paved sidewalks because of all the people, nights where you couldn't sleep because of the noisy cars on the streets, holidays where the stores here were alive, even at the early hours of the morning, peddling their wares...but, as with everything in his life, those were all memories now.

It was nighttime when he had arrived. The eventless drive there gave him time to think about the place. How long was it now? Ten...twenty years before he last came here? Everything happened so fast, time slipped him by. One minute he was a man living the simple life, now he was a man of authority, with legions of people looking up to him for safety and welfare.

Looking up to him...just as he looked up to everyone he met in his early years...

He shook his head. Now was not the time for remembering the past, now was the time for dealing with the present, and the future of someone dear to him...

Boldly, he strode up to a large, old building. Aside from the fact that it was aged and unused, the windows were opaque with dirt and age, the paint had dulled into a mottled grey, but it was still how he had remembered it.

He looked around and noticed a couple of cars parked in the vicinity. Even on this dimly lit night, he could see that those cars didn't belong here, in a place were everything was covered with the dirt and grime of times past. If someone other than him were to see them now, their shining, sleek black surfaces would give them away easily.

"They came here before I did." The man said to himself, chuckling as he pushed the old door open.

He walked in, dust kicking up around his black leather shoes. Even the interior didn't change with years gone past. The shelves were still there, although empty of their contents, the walls still bore their posters, now yellowed with age, even the creaky floorboard next to the doorway was still unfixed.

"They must be waiting for me..."

He walked past an old counter and into the next room, where lo and behold, were three other men, sitting around a square table, waiting for him.

"You're late." One said flatly, standing up. "You're the one who called the meeting and you're the one who's late."

"Leave him alone." Another retorted, sending a glare to the first. "You know how his job is."

"No no, he's right." The newcomer said apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I had to take an impromptu detour to escape the mass media."

"What is this about?" A third one asked, keeping silent until now. "You sounded urgent on the phone."

"I did, and here is why..."

The newcomer reached into his blazer pocket and took out a small envelope and tossed it on the table. "They've replied again, and this time they didn't sound happy."

The second took the envelope and opened it. "When have they ever?"

The first glared daggers at the second, his hands clenching into fists ominously. "Enough with the banter," He barked angrily. "What did they say?"

"Read for yourself..." The newcomer instructed, pointing to the piece of paper that the second was reading.

The letter within wasn't handwritten, nor was it subtle. In large, bold printed letters, the short, but nonetheless direct message was portrayed.

_**YOU'RE NOT SCARING ANYONE. STOP BROADCASTING YOUR LIES AT ONCE OR WE WILL DO IT FOR YOU.**_

The second, who was holding the letter, unceremoniously tossed it on the table, scoffing as he did so. "When will they realize that we are not lying?"

"Never, I'm afraid." The newcomer reported sadly. "The U.N. is beginning to believe them."

"What?" The third exclaimed, springing from his chair. "How can they believe this?!"

The first snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Hmph, they didn't believe us when we designed the KamiKaze Fighters. They're making up for their mistakes."

"Perhaps...but I'm beginning to think that they're doing more than that..."

He took out another piece of paper, this one ragged around the edges, and tossed it down on the table. "I found this in my mail today, stuffed into it hastily."

Everyone leaned over and looked at the note. Quite similar to the letter, this one was also typewritten, but with large red letters, and underlined four times.

_**I HOPE YOU AREN'T TOO ATTACHED TO YOUR FAMILIES...**_

"Now you know why I called you here..."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"What's with the call today, Mr. Director?"

"_I'm sorry for waking you so early, but I have news for you..._"

Mark let out a yawn and rubbed his eye. Even though it was nine o'clock in the morning, a time when he was usually wide awake (and playing on his computer) he just couldn't seem to drag himself out of bed, although he had to, in order to answer the video call from the Director. Even though Mark was still wearing the undershirt and baggy pants he slept in, on screen, the Director didn't seem to mind.

"No problem...the jet lag is still setting in..." He managed to say before letting out another yawn.

"_I've heard that The Prodigal King let you on his team._" The Director commented with a smile, leaning into his black leather chair.

"Yep...yep he did...did he tell you?"

Just then, a smaller screen appeared in the lower left corner of the video screen, this time with Yuuhi on it. "_I told him._"

The new, smaller screen must have appeared on both ends on the conversation, for the director also noticed. "Yuuhi, it has been a while..."

"_Mornin', Mr. Director..._" Yuuhi greeted, cocking his head to him.

"Yuuhi, thanks again for letting me join you guys..." Mark said gratefully, half-bowing as he did so.

Rolling his eyes, Yuuhi just nodded. "_Just make sure you pull your weight, cause I'm gonna be the reserve._"

"Wait, wha?"

The director chose this time to butt in. "_You see Mark, a team needs a minimum of four players, any extras will be reserve players for when the time arises._"

"That much I get, but why is Yuuhi the reserve?!" Mark retorted. "If he was playing, we'd be finish with the whole WCG in a week or so!"

Yuuhi grunted in reply. "_I have my reasons..._" He muttered.

"_Besides, Mark..._" The Director added. "_No one other than us and the team know of his real identity, which by the way was the reason I called both of you._" At this, the Cyber Games Director put on a serious look. "_Someone has leaked information to the press. They now know that the Champion is in Domino, and that the Titan is returning. I've called for a press conference, and Mark, I need you to come with me._"

"_Damn._" Yuuhi spat. "_I'd better lay low for a while...Over and Out._"

The smaller screen disappeared as Yuuhi hung up. Stretching a little, Mark looked back to the Director. "Sir, will we reveal who the Titan is at the conference?"

"_No, but I do have a clue for them to figure out in the meantime. Just get yourself ready, and I'll send for a car in half an hour._"

"Thanks. I'm out." Mark replied, hanging up. He turned toward his bed and fell down on it, and afterwards slammed a pillow over his head.

"Half an hour...that means twenty minutes of sleep..." Mark's muffled voice sounded from under the pillow.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

The Director had just ended his call with Mark and Yuuhi when he recieved another video call. Turning on the monitor again, he was surprised at who called him.

"Oh, Ryo! What's the reason for the call? I hope everything is alright..."

"_Things are okay here, __**Otooji-sama**__. It's just that I'm a little worried about the Cyber Games..._" (Otooji-sama: respected uncle)

"Why do I have the feeling you _haven't _told your father about this...?"

When Sanryo's attention suddenly shifted to something off screen, the Director shook his head knowingly. "Ryo, I grew up with him remember? He may be intimidating, but if you have your heart set out for it, he'll understand..."

"_It's not him understanding that's bothering me..._" Sanryo replied, still avoiding his uncle's gaze. He stayed silent for a while, but continued after letting out a sigh. "_...it's him taking me back if I fail..._"

"Who says you're going to fail, Sanryo?" The Director asked, frowning at the thought.

"_No one. I'm just being open minded._"

'_Unlike __**someone else **__I know of..._' The Director added, smiling a little.

"Ryo. How many times have you told me that you're going to make your own choices?" The Director began, his mysterious smile appearing. "Practice what you preach. Just do what you think is right, and your father will just have to live with that."

"_That doesn't help me much, __**Otooji-sama**__. I want to do everything I want to do in my life, but I can't forgive myself if I make him hate me in any way."_

His uncle's smile widened when he heard those words. "You sound like me from a long time ago. I defied him quite a number of times, and he forgave me for each and every one. Contrary to popular belief, he's a very understanding and forgiving man, even more so to his family."

"_One more qustion before I go..."_

"Which is?"

"_Is it really __**that **__easy to cross __**Chichioya-sama**__?_"

There was a pregnant pause after Sanryo asked that question. The Director looked at his nephew, and again, his mysterius smile seemed to radiate knowledge of future events, as if he fabricated them himself...

"It just depends on how much he cares for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for a press conference later. Goodbye Sanryo."

He turned off the monitor and stood up form his desk, opening a nearby envelope and taking out its contents, which were four newer versions of Duel Monsters cards. He fanned them out and smiled to himself.

'_I wonder if __**Nii-sama **__is going to watch the conference...'_

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"I wonder what's on TV thirty years in the future..."

Yuugi made a face at Jonouchi, who ignored it and plopped down in front of a small, battered-looking television set. Before anyone could tell him otherwise, Yuuhi entered the apartment, a vexed look on his features.

"What's wrong?" Yuugi asked, approaching him with concern.

"I'm leaving later tonight."

This revelation sent the rest of the apartment's occupants into a shock. "What?" "Where are you going?" "So soon?" These and other questions bombarded Yuuhi to the point of massaging his temples.

"You all are going to have to come with me." He said loudly, in order for them to quiet down. "Be forewarned, my team's going with me."

"Team? What Team?"

Irritated, Yuuhi prompty stood up and moved to his room, tossing Jonouchi the remote. "Watch the news conference at channel 20, you'll see what I mean." He said as he quickly closed the door, ending the conversation.

Perplexed, everyone turned to the battered TV as Jonouchi quickly flipped through the channels.

It wasn't long before Jonouchi finally found channel twenty.

"_--This is Tokyo Report News Live, and I'm Karisti Ritsukino, your on-site newscaster!_" The overly-excited anchorwoman chimed gleefully, half-waving at the camera. "_Here we are in front of the world-renowned Cyber Games Association where the acting Director, along with this year's World Cyber Games Champion, Mark Ishtar of America, will address the rumors spreading like wildfire over the internet!"_

Jonouchi almost dropped the remote when he heard Mark's name. "Wait a sec...'Ishtar'?"

"Marik's kid is the World Champion!?"

"_Whoa!_" Karisti remarked, pointing her mike at something in the distance. "_Kurano, zoom in! I think that's the Champion now!_"

Yuugi, ignoring his companions' murmurs, took the remote and raised the volume. On screen, He watched as a large crowd of reporters, seemingly overswarming the riot guards placed to corral them, hound a young man who is unmistakably of said Egyptian's descent as he made his way toward the podium laced with microphones.

"_Umm..."_ He spoke into the microphones, looking very uncomfortable and confused. He took a breath, and scratched the back of his head. "_Man, I hope they understand English..._" They heard him mutter into the microphones. "_The Director's taking a while to get here, so I'll take a question or two while he's not here--"_

The next minute he was onslaughted by a volley of questions, all asked at once, and as he stood there trying to figure one out, he was able to hear one clearly.

"_Are you upset that you gained the Championship Crown where everyone else said it was because the Titan refused to show up?_"

Mark cleared his throat. "_Not 'upset' per se...It's more of dissapointment. I really wanted to play against him, I have no doubt in my mind that if he did he would flatten me. But I just wanted the thrill of fighting the best..._"

"_Hey Mark, what do you say to the rumors that you bribed your way to the top?"_

_"Or that you used your father's authority to rig the American PVP playoffs?"_

Hearing these, the camera zoomed in on Mark's face. He looked like he was really to jump into the audience and break a few heads, but then someone off screen lay a hand on his shoulder.

"_Everyone._" Someone announced in a vaguely familiar voice. "_Please stop harassing my Champion with your tabloid questions..._"

"Where have I heard that voice before...?" Seto muttered to himself.

Mark looked up at the person off screen. "_Mr. Director!_"

The camera then shifted to show the director's face, and as it did so, they all looked on in awe.

"**Mokuba**?!"

Director Mokuba took his place on the podium, his hand still on Mark's shoulder. "_Listen, everyone..._"He began. "_I have called for this conference to answer only the major rumors that have cirulated the internet. As you have already seen, Yes the Champion of the previous World Cyber Games is staying in Japan, but he will be leaving tonight to prepare for this year's team division._"

"_Mr. Director, Is it true that the Titan will make his return?_"

"_Did he have an accident last year to prevent him from entering?_"

"_Since it's a team event, does he have reinforcements this year?_"

The Director raised a hand to quiet the restless audience. "_Everyone..._" He started, putting on a serious face. "_I will not answer those questions, but I __**will **__give you something to put in the papers. Here in my hand I hold four cards."_

He was shown taking out four cards from an envelope and giving them to his always present secretary, Kasi. "_Kasi, place these on the monitor_." They heard him say faintly.

Up above the podium, a large virtual screen appeared and showed the spectators and press the pictures of the four cards. To the press, they could not understand what these meant, but it was deadly obvious to Yuugi, Jonouchi and Seto. Ryou however, took no insight to their meaning.

"Miracle Flipper, White of Legend, Necroface...What's that other one..." Ryou read the card names out loud. "What does he mean?"

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**For further detail, please search these cards in an up to date (and preferably OCG) database.**

**Thank you for reading and stay tuned! **


	24. Curtain fall

**I claim authority and sole proprietorship to the copyright of this fanfic.**

**This particular chapter has been oddly difficult for me to write. Why? I have two separate versions and I don't know which one to use to further deepen the plot. So, for your pleasure, I've tried to combine them into one doubly impressive update. Enjoy the turning point of the first arc of the story!**

**Oh, and by the way, here are the cards from the previous chapter:**

_**Necroface: (1200/1800) The head of the doll in Dark Necrofear's hands. Stats are Dark Necrofear's stats minus 1000.**_

_**White of Legend: (300/250) Level one Dragon monster that is one-tenth the stats of Blue Eyes. Literally a 'Blue Eyes White Dragon Egg'. **_

_**Miracle Flipper: (300/500) Three words: Chibi. Dark. Magician.**_

_**Unseen fourth card: Red Eyes B. Chick. Self Explanatory.**_

**o.O.o.O.o**

They were exeptionally intelligent for their ages...they were considered the brightest lights in the generation, the creme of the crop, the prodigies of the nation. Should the future blacken upon their motherland, they were poised to raise their country's flag into the light of freedom.

And yet, these young talents were plagued with a paradoxic conundrum that would never reveal itself, no matter how hard they tried to decipher it. This mystery stood tall since the beginning of man and civilization itself, and will continue to do so until man's downfall and the eve of Judgement Day.

This mystery was...

The inner workings of a parent's mind.

One of the said prodigies, one Kabuto Jonouchi, was busy pondering the age old paradox at this very moment, head propped in his hand, eyes unfocused on the window of his room. It was around noontime, and he was sent to his room by his father, who was uncharacteristicly home today. The spectacled blond ran his other hand through his hair, irritated by his father's rather abrupt mood swing.

"What happened?" He asked himself moodily, drumming his fingers on his desk. He let out a sigh as he went over the events that merited his current house arrest again...

_He had just come back from playing at the arcade with Riku, in undoubtedly high spirits because of the fact that in a few hours, when the sun goes down, he would be on a first class plane ride to the most televised tournament in this modern world, with both of the most revered players this decade has to offer. He propped his skateboard on the doorway leading to the living room, were he was taken aback at the current occupant of said room._

_"__**Oyaji**__? What're you doing home this early?"_

_His father, the Brigadier General, who was currently on the couch watching TV, craned his neck over his shoulder to glance at his son. There was a significant amount of boredom in his eyes from Kabuto's point of view, and strangely, the light that was shining on them made him seem a lot younger than he was before...thirty years younger maybe..._

_"It was a particularly slow day at the base, Kabuto, I excused myself an early leave of absence to rest at home." He replied, turning back to the television to flip through the channels, conveniently stopping to sneeze at channel twenty, at the precise moment that the Director had arrived to make his speech. _

_Both blonds watched as the Director present his replies to the rumors, and reveal the four clue cards to the rest of the world. _

_As soon as The Brigadier saw the four cards, he stood up and rounded on Kabuto, with all of the intimidating aura a decorated military officer like him would have._

_"Explain yourself, Kabuto!" He ordered in a tone that viciously challenged a rebuttal, his chocolate eyes narrowing ominously._

_"Principal Kageyama gave me an invitation!" Kabuto replied, straightening his posture akin to a soldier about to report to his superior. _

_"And you __**accepted **__it?" The General half-shouted in response. "Kabuto, you know you are not allowed to enter that tournament, and I am not about to go back on my word now."_

_"But __**Oyaji**__, you and I __**both **__know that I'm fully qualified to enter that tournament."_

_"Your grades would suffer greatly because of those long absences at school."_

_"I could maintain them even if I was stranded on a desert Island with only a pigeon to deliver them for me!" The younger Jonouchi retorted, his own amber eyes narrowing. "Just admit it, you have no valid reason for forbidding me and are doing so out of sheer spite!"_

_The Brigadier General didn't visibly move, but it was obvious by the sudden widening of his eyes that he was taken by surprise by Kabuto's exclamation. Nonetheless, the chocolate orbs narrowed again, only now they were almost about to drill holes into Kabuto's very soul._

_"I will __**not**__ tolerate this __**insubordination **__from you, Kabuto! Get to your room and stay there, you are not leaving there until I give further directions. __**That**__**. **__**Is**__**. **__**An**__**. **__**Order**__**!**__"_

_Kabuto's fists shook slightly, his knuckles turning white from the pressure of his grip. Without a word, he turned on his heel in a snap, and marched up the stairs, humming a candence as he went._

Kabuto stopped drumming his fingers and slammed his fist on the table, still enraged at his father's close-mindedness. "Why!?" he asked himself angrily. He stood up from his spot and moved to his computer, content at relieving his stress with a few skirmishes of _Warcraft III: Frozen Throne Online_, perhaps even challenging his online friend, _InternalPrisoner_, to one or two.

He logged in and almost immediately, he had found his online friend finishing a single skirmish.

'_Hey, Pris. It's me again.' _He typed in greeting to his friend.

'_**Oh hello.**__' _His friend greeted back. _'__**What are you doing here this early?**__'_

_'Grounded. And I dunno why...' _

_'__**What made you get grounded? Did your mom or dad find some contraband in your room?**__' InternalPrisoner _replied, along with a raised eyebrow emoticon.

_'Very Funny. No, he didn't. My dad grounded me because I accepted an invitation to go someplace and he said I shouldn't have.' _He also added a very angry emoticon. _'It's not fair! He knows I'm fully qualified to enter that tournament, and he __**still **__won't let me go!' _Another angry emoticon.

_'__**Come now, your father can't be that narrow-minded. (o.O) He's just worrying for your welfare. Besides, tournaments come and go, but your future is forever.**__'_

Kabuto read his reply with a very irritated expression. _'Would you feel the same way if I told you I was barred from this year's WCG?' _He typed, his eyebrow twitching as he did so. He propped his head in his hand as he waited for his friend's reply, which was unusually taking a long time.

_'__**(O.o) **__**You**__** were selected for the World Cyber Games?! Congratulations!**__'_

_'I know...but since my father won't let me go. I'm gonna have to forfeit my chance.'_

_'__**Surely if your father knew it was the Cyber Games he would let you go...**__'_

_'He knows full well it's the WCG. He's just barring me out of sheer spite.'_

_'__**If it helps...I was barred by my father as well. Quite a number of times, actually. Of course, I was disappointed, but it is hard to persuade him. He's a very influential man here in Japan...**__'_

_'(O.O) I didn't know you were in Japan too!'_

_'__**You're Japanese as well?**__'_

_'Yeah! I can't believe it...by the way, where do you study...?'_

_'__**Freshman Year at Domino High.**__'_

_'WTF? Me too!'_

Kabuto stared at the screen. '_No way..._' He thought. '_He was in my school, in my year, and I didn't even know!_' He started pulling on a stray blond lock, a sure sign that he was busy thinking. '_Okay, he said that his father was 'very influential'...that could mean any high profile job...multiple barrings...? Who would bar their kid from tournaments? ...Well, one would be __**my **__dad, but then again, I'm not talking to myself here...'_

He looked back to the screen and noticed that _InternalPrisoner _did not reply. Maybe he too was pondering how his online friend escaped his notice. Hungry for more information, he typed in before his friend could type a response.

_'You say you study at Domino high?' _

_'__**Yes, I did.**__'_

_'Freshman year as well?'_

_'__**Yes.**__'_

Kabuto was racking his brains. '_Who could this guy be?' _He pondered, staring at the blinking text cursor in the text box. '_Influential and Restricting father...freshman at Domino High...' _He looked at his friend's replies, and he noticed something. _'Wait a minute...I've never seen him use any kind of slang, acronyms or improperly punctuated sentences when I talk to him. Usually when someone isn't used to using them, they're often ones required to know formal written language...meaning...someone of high-class...and the only high-class freshman I know of is...'_

He looked at the text box intently, slowly typing out his next reply.

_'I'm only taking a wild guess here...but...Sanryo, is that you?'_

He leaned back in his chair, waiting for his friend's immediate reply. There was a pause, then he saw his friend reply.

First it was just a period...

Then two...

Then three...

And finally...

'_**Kabuto?**_'

**o.O.o.O.o**

Sanryo stared at his computer screen hard, in well-masked disbelief.

_'__**I still can't believe it...**__' _Kabuto sent in.

_'Neither can I...' _The brunet replied. _'But there is still one question left unanswered...'_

_'__**What'd that be, Ryo?**__'_

_'Why would the Brigadier General forbid you from going to the Tournament?'_

_'__**I don't know...didn't you hear me the first time?!**__' _Kabuto sent in reply. Sanryo could tell that he was getting irritated. _'__**What about you? Does the **__**Zaibatsu**__** know? Did he see the conference at channel twenty?**__'_

The brunet let out a breath, recalling an earlier encounter with his own father, the _Zaibatsu._ _'He did not have to. __**Otooji-sama **__called him up personally.'_

_'__**The Director? What'd he say?**__'_

_'I was not able to overhear the details...but the result is blatantly obvious: __**Chichioya-sama **__is as indomitable as your father, Kabuto.'_

There was a pause on Kabuto's end. Sanryo leaned back in his chair, listening intently to the song playing on his Media Player.

"_...Procrastination,_

_Running circles in my head..._

_While you sit there, comtemplating,_

_You're wound up left for dead..._

_Life is what happens..._

_While you're busy making your excuses..._

_Another day...another casualty..._

_But that won't happen to me..."_

Just then, he heard a beep, interrupting his train of thought. He looked to the screen to see a new chat room open up, this one with Kabuto and another person, _Kuroyami-no-tenshi_.

He smiled as he saw the other user name, straightened up, and smoothly typed in the words to his thoughts.

'_I can only assume that that is Riku...'_

_'__**Was it that obvious?**__' Kuroyami-no-Tenshi _replied.

_'__**What's the news on your end, Riku?**__'_ Kabuto asked.___'__**Does your dad know...?**__'_

_'__**It's the same result over here... (-.-)**__' _Riku typed in. _'__**The three of us might as well be living in prison.**__'_

_'I suppose it is for the best...' _The brunet admitted, pausing to take a breath before continuing. '_Who are we to question the methodology and strategems of the Higher Powers?'_

_'__**I don't believe it.**__' _Kabuto stated. _'__**"Time is a coin of your life. It is the only one you have, and only you can decide how it is spent. Be careful, lest others spend it for you."**__'_

_'A quote by Carl Sandburg, I see...'_

_'__**Well, I do read a lot in my spare time, not a lot, just a couple of quotes here and there...**__'_

_'Do you know of this one then? "__**Be entirely tolerant, or not at all. Follow the path of Good or of Evil. To stand at the crossroads takes more strength than all combined**__."'_

_'__**Of course. It's Heinrich Heine's.**__'_

_'__**Hey, Shakespeares! X(**__' _Riku interrupted. _'__**Save the Philosophy class for later!**__' _

There was a pause after Riku's exclamation, and after a while, Riku broke the aforementioned pause with another, more drastic reply.

_'__**I don't know about you two...but I don't care what my dad says. I'm breaking out and headed for the airport. Coming with?**__'_

Sanryo kept his sapphire gaze on the screen. '_You're a brave one, Riku..._'he thought, looking down at the keyboard afterwards. '_I wish_ _I was that brave...but...it's impossible for me to cross __**Chichioya-sama **__and not feel guilty afterwards._'

The brunet contemplated the worst case scenario if his father found out about him even _considering _to disobey. The thoughts ranged from yelling to grounding to disinheritance and even more. '_And besides...after what happened...ten years ago...how could I come to that decision...?'_

He let out a sigh as he remembered the conversation he had with his uncle earlier today, before the conference.

A beeping alerted him to the screen again as he saw Kabuto's reply.

_'__**You're right, Riku. It's about time we saw the world. I'm headed out as soon as dad falls asleep, meet you at our old spot. Hey Ryo, what about you?**__'_

Slightly shivering hands hovered over the keyboard as Sanryo read the question over and over again. each moment was punctuated by a gesture of the said hands to press one key, but would recoil back as if shocked. Eventually, those hands were finally able to type out a reply.

_'Just go on to the airport, I'll see what I can do.'_

Right then and there, Sanryo logged off.

**o.O.o.O.o**

**Later, that night...**

"There...that's the last of it."

Yuuhi straighted up from his spot on the rickety wooden floor and looked around. There were a couple of bags on the bed, both stuffed to the brim with clothes, and a third one in his lap, which was just a little drawstring purse of personal items, light enough to carry with his left arm.

There was a knock on his bedroom door and Yuugi entered. "So..." he began, a little nervous. "You're really going...?"

"Of course." Yuuhi replied. _'No one's stopping me this time...' _He added to himself.

"What about us?"

Yuuhi looked up to his shorter companion. As the two sets of purple eyes focused, Yuuhi's thin lips curved back into a minute smile. '_I can see the resemblance..._' He thought.

"The other guys are pretty easy to hide, but you're a dead give away." The ponytailed teen commented flatly. "Here, put this on."

He tossed Yuugi a large black bandanna before standing up. "By the way, make sure you don't act too surprised when we get to the airport."

**o.O.o.O.o**

"Just when I finally started sleeping at the right time..."

Mark rolled his eyes as he looked up at the large but sleek airplane. His luggage, consisting of a duffel bag and a backpack, sat there beside him. An Air Traffic staff was about to take them into luggage, but Mark stopped him politely.

"I'm still waiting for some people." He said.

The Airport Employee looked at him oddly, and walked away.

The silver haired american slipped his hands into his sleeves, shivering slightly. "Man it's cold here..."

"You should be here in winter." Said a voice from behind him.

Mark whirled around and saw the Director coming up to him, his short, messy black hair being tossed around by the wind. The ever-so-mysterious smile cast a shadow over his face, as if making it even more ominous than usual. The Champion smiled back to him, before looking back up at the plane.

"What are you doing waiting here, Mark? Shouldn't you be waiting on the plane?"

The Champion shrugged his shoulders, hastily pulling up the draw strings on his hood. "I'll get up there when I see them."

"I see...we're about to leave you know..."

"You're coming with us?"

The Director looked back to the airport, his grey-blue eyes clouded with thought. "No, no. I have one other thing to accomplish here, I'll catch up with you in America later in the week."

With that, the director left, leaving his Champion alone to collect his thoughts.

And collect Mark did. He crossed his arms in an attempt to retain more warmth, and looked up at the starless sky. '_Finally, a chance to fight side by side with the greatest player ever to grace the Cyber Games..._' He thought to himself, smirking. '_Wonder what he's like...from what I know about him, I'd say he's a ruthless tyrant..._'

The sound of footsteps made Mark look over his shoulder. From what he could see in the distance, he could make out five people, one carrying luggage.

"Who're they...?"

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**I'm really sorry it cuts off here...but it was getting too long for me to squeeze everything into one chapter. Enjoy the update nonetheless!**


	25. When I'm Gone

**Disclaimer:**** Original concept and Characters of '**_**Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters**_**' belong to Kazuki Takahashi and his assistants.**

**o.O.o.O.o**

**The 22nd of November was probably the best day of my life.**

**A tournament in an Anime convention which had roving television cameras all over the place, **

**And I went further than I ever gotten before.**

**How far did I get?**

**Usually I do sparingly in tournaments...but this time...**

**I got Second Place, I got a medal, I got to go **_**on stage**_** to recieve my medal,**

**I got an interview in front of a camera,**

**and to top it all off...**

**I was able to bring my two best friends to their first unsupervised anime convention **

**and...**

**Met up with a bunch of cosplayers, my favorite was a rather accurate one of Kaiba (the only thing that was wrong was that his little companion wasn't dressed up like Mokuba, and according to 'Seto' : "That would be **_**too**_** cute.")**

**If that is not a good day, I do not, and never will, know what is.**

**o.O.o.O.o**

_'Just go on to the Airport, I'll see what I can do.'_

Those words seemed to echo in his mind, even when he engulfed himself into listening to the songs of his Ipod. The sentence was on a perpectual tape recorder, relaying it over and over again in a volume over the 115 dB volume of the said music player. He was sitting there in his chair, leaning into the plush leather, his head hanging over the backrest, his unfocused sapphire eyes staring at the high ceiling of his room.

'_What __**can**__ I do...?' _The brunet pondered, closing his eyes as his reply to Kabuto and Riku resonated in his seemingly hollow skull, reverberating at a deafening frequency.

He raised his head up and gazed at a slightly opened drawer, smiling a little. In a smooth motion, he opened the drawer a little more to reveal its contents: a small number of pencil drawings, all on scrap pieces of paper. Not a lot of people, especially not those pack-hunting urban wolves known as paparazzi, knew that he was quite the artist. Whenever he had no particular thing to do, which was almost all the time, considering school assignments barely posed a challenge for him, and his father only involves him in office work when it was of the utmost importance, he could usually be seen with a pencil in hand, lazily sketching something on whatever paper he could find. Uncharacteristically, but not strange given his lineage, all his sketches were of one sole topic:

Dragons in flight.

Sanryo sifted through the sketches, until he came across one particular drawing. It was, of course, of a flying dragon, but this one was special, because it had one thing that the others didn't: a grounded one in the foreground.

The brunet's sapphire orbs scanned the picture passively. the dragon in the air was silhouetted against a circular sun, gracefully arching its long, lizardlike body, spreading both its wings, seemingly embracing the air around them, as if relishing in the simple glory of being in the bright sky, dancing with the sunbeams. The grounded one, on the contrary, was looking up at the flying one, the detail in its almond like eyes reflecting the longing the grounded dragon felt. Compared to the flying one, even accounting for depth and distance, was quite small, and its claws and horns were more rounded and dull, signifying youth. There were small, jagged shapes nearby the young dragon's body, probably egg shells judging by their curved shapes and spotted patterns. The hatchling dragon's wings, though outstretched, were far too small, and could not catch enough upward lift to counter its weight.

Sanryo took a breath and lowered the drawing, stood up from his seat and strode out the door.

**o.O.o.O.o**

_'Took him long enough to fall asleep...' _Kabuto thought bitterly, watching his father snoozing on the couch, his flat cap over his head, visor covering his eyes.

He had packed whatever he could fit into his trusted gym bag without it being too heavy, and made a beeline for the medicine cabinet in the bathroom for his medicine.

Slipping back into the living room, the blond crept as slowly and silently as he could so as not to awaken the sleeping General.

Eventually he made his way toward the front door, and having grabbed his skateboard from the adjacent room, turned back to the doorway to the living room. His amber eyes clouded over in thought. '_Am I really doing the right thing?_' He asked himself, before he let out a previously held breath.

Yes, living with the General was never easy, life in the Military can do that to a man. But, going over what Sanryo had said, Kabuto could not help but agree with the brunet on occasion. '_**Oyaji **__has a right to worry about me..._' The blond admitted, chewing his bottom lip lightly. His clouded amber orbs cleared as he turned back to the door and creaked it open. '_But your worrying isn't going to stop me. I'm headed for that tournament, __**Oyaji**__, even if you're going to send the Air Force to ground me.'_

Kabuto silently lay down his skateboard, got on, and rolled away from his house, taking advantage of the slight slope that his house had in relation to the road. After a few dozen yards from his starting point, Kabuto stopped and turned back to his house, a worried expression crossing his features.

'_That was too easy...was I right in thinking that __**Oyaji **__was asleep?_'

He shook his head. '_Of course I am._' He thought to himself, smirking a little. '_Why would he just let me go if he wasn't...?_' He assured himself as he skated away from the hill and off in the direction of the airport.

As Kabuto rolled away, the sound of a shutting door echoed down the hill as the General closed and locked up his house, in his other hand he held a sleek black walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"_Souridaijin-sama_, it's as we suspected. Your orders, sir?"

"_Report back to base immediately, I have reason to believe that the__** koryu**__ will spread its wings tonight as well..._" **(1)**

**o.O.o.O.o**

"_Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate_." **(2)**

Sanryo stood in front of the massive underground hangar, looking down at the passcode panel at its side. Holding a large black suitcase in one hand and letting out a breath, he brought up his other hand, in it one of his handguns, fitted into it a custom-made silencer, into his line of vision.

"What have I done...?" He whispered to himself, closing his eyes to remember what he had done in the past few minutes in the hour before he was due at the airport.

_He had decided. He would go to the airport, regardless if it was against his father's wishes. Time had presented him with the greatest gift that he could ever hope to conceive, and fear of his father was keeping his hands bound from receiving it._

_'__**Not anymore.**__' He had thought as he prepared his things for his flight. _

_It was strange. He was never one to think that all courses of life were predetermined, and one was bound to the path chosen for him. Or rather, he did not __**want **__to contemplate that hypothesis. _

_He had only packed what was absolutely necessary: a collection of his most ordinary clothing, a pair of everyday sneakers...he did not want to be known where he was planning to escape to. Yet, he had also included a box of bullets for his choice of weaponry, and a couple of items for its maintenance. Of course, he had also included his beloved Ipod and its respective charger, no doubt essential. _

_As he had left his room and headed for the underground hangar, he had passed by his father's favored room. He stopped in the exact center of the doorway, and craned his head to gaze at the old model Duel Disk that his father had made with his own two hands, for reasons that the __**Zaibatsu **__had never chosen to relay to his son._

_Sanryo let out a breath, and entered the room after he propped his luggage on the wall next to the doorway. The fireplace was eerily dim, the embers within slumbering until the return of their master and caretaker. Without their warm glow, the room seemed as intimidating as its usual occupant, glaring Sanryo down, daring him to try what he was about to do._

_The brunet's normally bright sapphire orbs seemed despondent now, as he raised a hand toward the case and traced a large lock that kept the old machine apart from the rest of the world with his finger. _

_A breath escaped Sanryo's lungs as clouded blue eyes hid behind eyelids for a moment. He then brought out one of his handguns from its holster, reached into a hidden pocket of his tailcoat, and took out a long shining silencer, which he screwed to the barrel of his gun. His other hand slipped into his other pocket and pulled out a long white handkerchief. Nimbly, he wrapped the handkerchief so that it kept the U-shaped bolt that kept the case closed under tension, while it allowed his hand to pull it from a safe distance._

_With his left hand, he placed the tip of the now silenced barrel of his gun to the cylindrical steel bolt._

_"Forgive me..." He whispered into the air as he squeezed the silvery trigger of his gun..._

_...before he fired the bolt clean off the lock and wrenched the case open._

The door to the hangar whirred to life and made itself rise into the ceiling to allow Sanryo entry. As he entered into the blackened room, a pair of dark, familiar, royal blue eyes stared on emotionlessly. They had even refused to falter when their target had left their line of vision.

**o.O.o.O.o**

"Of course you know, _you're _to blame for this."

"Now now, if the message if unfavorable to you, don't kill the messenger."

"Don't give me _that_!"

The _Souridaijin_ raised his hand, alerting the General to quell his temper before things got out of hand. They were now just a little way away from the chain link fence that bordered the large asphalted tarmac of the airport runway. Their location, just behind a large grassy hill, and just out the reach from the spotlights of the tarmac, was seemingly the perfect place for an inconspicuous meeting.

"This is getting us nowhere..." The Prime Minister commented idly. "You _do _know that once their plane leaves Japanese ground, you will be held responsible for them?" He asked the third person of their trio, the Director.

"I accept the responsibility for their welfare with my pride, career and, perhaps maybe, my life." The Director replied, bowing slightly.

The General was still not convinced. "Enough with the formalities." He growled before rounding on the _Souridaijin_. "How can you _let _them _go_?! _You're_ the one who's receiving the death threats! Not having Yuuhi in the country could just be the greatest mistake you're going to make!"

His conversant had no reply except for turning to the chain link fence and gazing at the lone airplane resting on the tarmac. He had his hands behind him, a sure sign of contemplation, according to the General.

"How can I let them go?" The _Souridaijin_ repeated, bowing his head. His lightning-bolt bangs, although now flecked with gray streaks, fell forward and covered his amethyst eyes. "How could I let Yuuhi go, knowing there's impending danger in doing so, and the all-too-likely suspiscion that he might never come back?"

There was a pause after his words. He turned to face them, his head still bowed.

"Think about it. I am in the exact same position that my grandfather was all those years ago. He had let me go with a smile, albeit a watery one, knowing that even though certain death awaited me, I would return safe. Can I not let Yuuhi have that same support?"

Behind them, the Director's face glinted with his mysterious smile once again. '_Same old Yuugi..._'

**o.O.o.O.o**

"Well, that could've gone worse..."

Yuuhi grunted in reply, tossing his bag up into the overhead compartment. Admittedly, he had to agree with the blond. Mark was unexplainably lax when he had seen Yuuhi arrive with an - with no other word available - _entourage_. The ponytailed teen slumped into his seat, grumbling over that, rather embarassing, meeting.

_As soon as they had reached Mark, the silver haired champion was already casting Yuuhi a questioning glance, his lavander eyes almost signalling his mental question like semaphore. _

_"The less you know, the better off you are." Yuuhi answered, immediately heading towards the plane. _

_"Can you at least tell me who they are in a basic sense?" Mark called after him, grabbing his own luggage in the process._

_"Travelling companions. Let's just say they're all glued to my hip." Yuuhi was already starting to climb the stairs, Yuugi a few steps ahead of him._

_Mark stopped running and chuckled. "Now that's a funny picture." _

_Irritated, Yuuhi turned around and glared at Mark. "Shut up and get on the __**damn **__plane!" _

_The aforementioned young man the jogged to the stairs. "Yessir!" He yelped._

_Before Yuuhi could turn around again, Yuugi quickly flicked him on the back of the ear. "Don't curse." He scolded._

"I definitely hope you're happy..." Yuuhi growled to Yuugi, who was seated next to him, rubbing the flicked ear.

Yuugi didn't reply, but continued to stare out the window onto the almost pitch black asphalt of the runway. '_Right now...I don't think I can be happy Yuuhi...knowing what might happen to you if I don't help Atemu...but I don't even know how to do that..._'

just then, two blurs, one blond and another white, zipped past the window and out of sight.

"What was that?"

Then, loud rapid thumping noises rang in the airplane cabin, before Kabuto and Riku burst into view. "Sorry we're late!" Riku exclaimed, panting and leaning against a divider. "Had to take a few detours..."

"Same..." Kabuto breathed, collapsing into a nearby seat.

After a few brief moments of panting, the two finally realized that there were around four extra people in that cabin.

"What the...who're you guys?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Yuuhi stood up and moved towards Mark's seat. "Go_._" He said simply.

For the seciond time in a few hours, Mark cast him a questioning look. "What?"

"This is a private matter. Head for the next cabin, cockpit, wherever, just not here."

The questioning gaze still plastered on his tan face, Mark slowly stood up and inched his way out of the cabin. Yuuhi watched him leave, then rounded on Riku and Kabuto.

"You two really wanna know?"

**o.O.o.O.o**

"So...you mean..."

"I know, I know, something out a sci-fi novel. Now just shut it and don't ask. I'm not in the mood to play 'twenty questions'."

Both blonds just stared at Yuuhi, in plain disbelief.

Just then, Mark popped his head into the cabin again. "The pilot says it's takeoff time." He reported.

Riku stood up and looked around. "Hey wait!" he exclaimed after realizing something. "Ryo's not here!"

Mark, looking disappointed, shrugged. "The pilot says he can't make any extensions anymore, we're already delaying a flight by staying on the tarmac."

Mark slipped into the cabin and took his seat. "I guess we have to go without him." He peeked over his seat and grinned at Yuuhi. "Guess you'll have to compete after all, Titan."

"Oh really?" Yuuhi countered, pointing out his window. "Then tell me what's that coming up."

Before Mark could counter, a loud rumbling shook the cabin and its passengers, immediately, everyone rushed to the nearest window to get a glimpse of outside.

Like something from an outer space movie, the large, sleek, gleaming white of the long-inactive Blue Eyes White Jet descended on the tarmac, just a few inches away from their place, with Sanryo in the cockpit.

The brunet pressed a few buttons on his control panel, and raised the glass of the cockpit, before grabbing a couple of his luggage bags and smoothly leaping out of it onto the ground below.

Back in the plane, Jou cast a sideways glare to Seto. "Do you Kaibas always have to have a grand entrance?" He whispered, growling a little.

His reply was a smoothly breathed "Yes."

**o.O.o.O.o**

"I knew it."

It was in a darkened room of a large mansion where two people, one facing a large, floor-tength, intricately decorated window, were talking.

The other didn't reply, but continued to stare out the window with unfocused eyes, his hands behind him.

"I knew you couldn't chain him forever." The first said triumphantly, crossing his arms with a prideful smirk.

The other looked over his shoulder to glance at him. "And you doubted yourself?" He asked.

The first was a little deterred by his conversant's lack of emotion, although it was common for him to do so. "What made you decide to set him free?"

He did not get a reply, but he didn't need one. He know his companion all too well...his words are portrayed through his actions, and his words were few, simple and to the point every time.

The other turned back to the window, his royal blue eyes staring at the silhouette of an airplane against the moon.

"_Tsubasa hiroge...aoi sekai e...ore no Koryu..."_ **(3)**

**o.O.o.O.o**

**(1) Koryu: Baby Dragon**

**(2) An exerpt from **_**Dante's Inferno**_**: "**_**Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here**_**."**

**(3) "Spread your wings...fly in this blue world...my little Dragon..."**

**I hope you enjoyed this...it took me three weeks to finally get it all together...gotta do the log-out now. **

**Later.**


	26. Finale: Dueling on a Jet Plane

**As the year closes, so must a lot of other things. To begin the year anew, I am completing this story tonight.**

**To everyone who has read this story up until how, thank you.**

**Fret not, because as one door closes, another door opens. So at the start of new year, I shall begin a new story, and the next arc of **_**Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters 2.**_

**You will find out the title of it at the end of this chapter. Enjoy...for there will be (hopefully) more to come...**

**Disclaimer:**** The Original characters of **_**Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters **_**belong to Kazuki Takahashi**

**o.O.o.O.o**

For Mark, there was no sweeter dream than this.

For him to fly in the same plane as Yuuhi Mutou, the long fabled _Cyber Games Titan_, and to assist him to dominate this year's tournament and reinstate him as Champion. Yes, he was going to miss the fame that accompanied the title, the companies downright pleading him for a Nominal Partership and to sponsor their products, and admittably, the mobs of Paparazzi and fans alike hounding him. But it was inevitable, for apart form Yuuhi, no other person has held their reign for more than one Tournament. The competition was _far _too fierce for someone to allow that. This was probably why he held Yuuhi on such high regard. For someone to stare the competition in the eye and deny someone else the throne was unfathomable, especially when Yuuhi had first entered the scene at age 14.

Mark repeated this fact over and over in his mind, and smiled all the while. '_If this was a dream,_' He thought, looking out the window to gaze upon the magnificent ruby red sunrise over the ocean surface. '_Then may I never be awoken again..._' Lavander eyes closed for a minute as he fantasized the final day of the Cyber Games where he, as the current reigning Champion must give his crown to Yuuhi in front of the legions of other competitors. Unfortunately for the tanned teen, his fantasies have a knack for being interrupted.

"Anyone got some chips or something? I'm hungry!" He heard a voice groan from behind him.

"_Jonouchi!_"

"Well, it's true!"

Mark looked out from his seat and grinned. Even though no one told him of the others' identities in a difinitive way, he was able to accurately guess. With all of the other occupants of the plane in close quarters, it was easy to see the family resemblances. The two Mutous were a prime example, with both of their...well...sub-average, heights, though Mark did ponder why Yuuhi's blond bangs weren't styled into lightning bolts like his (potential) father, but rather fell over his face like thin spider legs.

Not noticing their observer, Yuugi scratched the back of his head in annoyance. "I thought you _just_ ate!" He berated, confusion overcoming his features as the blond shrugged.

"Sorry..." Jou replied sheepishly, before a plastic container was tossed at him, with the blond barely catching it in his hand.

This made Mark chuckle under his breath. It was just a few minutes ago someone tossed Jou a bag of chips for complaining about being hungry, and that incident happened after a few similar ones. The first time it was a neatly packed sandwich, the second time it was bag of donuts, and strangely though, he _knew _who was tossing them.

"There, now keep it down! I'm trying to listen to some music!" Kabuto shouted angrily, pressing the lone earphone deeper into his skull.

Sanryo, who was seated next to Kabuto, cast him a questioning glance. "You _do_ know that..."

Kabuto cut him off. "I know, I know...but it's DragonForce's '_Through the Fire and Flames_' he's yelling over."

"I did not mean that he's your future father..." Sanryo counted calmly, lowering the volume of his Ipod. "I meant that that was the fourth time you tossed him your food."

"Your point?"

"Just how _much _food did you bring onto the plane?"

"Long story short, no one on this plane will be hungry for at least three days."

The brunet grinned at Kabuto's remark, and resumed to look out the window. "Hereditary." He muttered audibly.

"_Hey_!"

At this Mark couldn't keep the chuckle in any longer. Luckily he was far enough and quiet enough, not to attract any attention. Although both Kabuto and Yuuhi weren't far from the paternal half of the gene pool there was one person who Mark couldn't quite place in that hypothetical pool. He watched as Sanryo continued to converse with the spectacled blond, and since both were sharing Sanryo's Ipod, he could assume it was about a song or other.

Mark couldn't see the resemblance - besides looks - that linked Sanryo to the _Zaibatsu_-to-be. From his observations of Seto, it was something out of a complete personality one-eighty that Sanryo would turn out the way he did: content with life, polite and helpful. '_Who knows...?_' Mark thought, stretching his arms and leaning back into his seat. '_Maybe if he duels, the traits Sanryo got will show themselves..._'

A couple of rows behind the aformentioned audiophile, Seto watched them with a stern, calculating stare, pondering the same questions as Mark, but delving far deeper. As far as people who knew him were concerned, he was too business-like for them to even _consider_ thinking of him dealing with a child. These people were, of course, the types of people worrying about Mokuba's upbringing. And it was these types of people who have gone as far as to raise rumors on _how _Mokuba was the happy young boy that he was. The _Zaibatsu-_to be, upon reaching this station with his train of thought, was reminded of the incorrect, sometimes humorous, sometimes _ridiculous _assumptions. The rumors ranged from Mokuba not being related to him and him just being there as a showpiece for publicity, to them having a behind-the-scenes mother, to (believe it or not) being his _son _instead of brother, and that Seto was stating such so as not to provoke Social Security.

Speaking of son...

It was even hard to picture _himself _in parenthood, and yet there in front of him was the product of such. When they first met, he was a little unsatisfied at Sanryo's readiness to accept the rather strange turn of events on how he had come across the audiophile, but when he had witnessed his arrival upon his own Blue Eyes White Jet, Seto had felt the same feeling he would get when he was able to back Yuugi into a metaphorical corner during their almost ritualistic Duels: accomplished pride.

Inwardly, he admitted, he was happy with how Sanryo turned out. No one, save Mokuba, knew of the one wish that he would ask for if presented with the hypothetical 'Genie's wish': To give his family, be it little brother or (from what he could surmise) offspring, the best life possible. Even if it meant not being able to share in this blessing.

The train of thought that Seto had kept running was derailed abruptly. "He's nothing like you, and you're wondering why, am I right?" Someone asked him. Seto didn't move, but his royal blue eyes roved to the direction of the source of the question.

"Not exactly, Yuugi." He replied curtly. As the spiky-haired Mutou seated himself beside him, Seto looked back to the two in front, his stare unwavering.

"Hey, it amazes me too..." Yuugi shrugged. "He looks almost exactly like you...but he's acting more like..."

"Mokuba."

"Exactly."

A shifting brought both their attentions back to Kabuto and Sanryo. The latter had stood up and began rummaging through the overhead compartment, taking out a very distinct looking case.

"Is that...?"

"A guitar case?"

The commotion brought the others' attention as well. A small crowd had gathered as Sanryo unzipped the case and slipped out a powder-blue, glitter coated custom guitar.

"I didn't know you knew how to play." Riku commented, admiring the guitar.

"I rarely have a chance to play for an audience at home." Sanryo explained, checking the tuning on the guitar. "But since Kabuto does not believe I can play the solo on '_Through the Fire and Flames_', I suppose that this is a good opportunity to show him such."

Kabuto cast him a questioning stare over his glasses. "I didn't say you couldn't _do_ it. I just don't think you can _survive_ it without at least a finger cramp or broken string."

"I tried that song on a _Guitar Hero _game back in the US." Mark stated, grimacing at the memory. "That song was _brutal_! my fingers felt like they were on fire and I only got a 40 percent."

"There's my evidence." Kabuto said with a triumphant grin. "The Champion didn't survive, even Herman Li didn't survive the game version, and he _played _the song in the first place!"

Aloof from the commotion, Yuuhi leaned against one of the seats, observing with a passive stare. '_Never thought I would go back there...'_ He thought, glancing down at his left arm. '_I just hope it doesn't have to end too soon.' _A moment passed before a minute smile crept onto his thin lips. '_I hate to admit it. But I had wished for this to happen once or twice before...a team edition of the World Cyber Games, me being surrounded by teammates...but back then was __**before**__ that fateful day..._'

_**It was the dead of night, a full moon, the air heavy in the wake of a downpour, he was back on that roof again, hanging on for dear life with his left arm, looking up at four forms who were trying to reach him.**_

_**"Just a little more!" One of them yelled.**_

_**"Help me guys!" Yuuhi cried out, panicked. "My hand's slipping!"**_

_**The two hands were a hair's width from each other, when suddenly one drew back when the distant sound of a siren's screech echoed around them.**_

_**"Oh no, the police, come on! Let's go!"**_

_**"But what about-"**_

_**"Forget him! We have to **__**move**__**!"**_

_**One by one the forms disappeared from Yuuhi's line of view, the one trying to save him the last to leave. Yuuhi's dark purple eyes widened with fear and shock, before his hand finally lost its grip and let go of the roof.**_

_**Everything happened in a fraction of a second, but in Yuuhi's mind...it could have taken millennia. The sound of rushing air in his ears, the sound of breaking glass, the searing pain burning through his left arm, the moon shining down on him, looking more like a disc bathed in blood before his vision faded to black...**_

_**He opened his eyes and he could see red and blue lights flashing all around him, slowly, he craned his neck a little and saw the four forms talking to a person holding a clipboard, a paramedic by look of the uniform. **_

_**"So I take it you're his friends?" He asked the four. Yuuhi didn't move or speak, the pain in his arm too much, his head bobbing in and out of consciousness.**_

_**"Huh? Who, the victim? Never seen him before in my life."**_

_**"But you were in the vicinity when the incident occured."**_

_**"Oh, me and the guys were coming back from an all-nighter at my place, we passed by the school and heard a commotion, then we saw that guy fall off the roof."**_

_**"I see..."**_

_**His mind finally gave in and he blacked out, but even as he did, and there was only one thought running though his mind. **_

_**'Guys...how could you...?'**_

Yuuhi shook his head and he was back in the plane, watching with unfocused purple orbs as Sanryo belted out what could be the longest guitar solo anyone has ever heard, the dumbstruck faces of his audience inclining to agree.

'_It was from then on I decided to live my life alone._' Yuuhi told himself. '_Nothing on this earth will last forever, and eventually, all things come to an end, even the so-called __**Bonds of Friendship **__that my father kept telling me about when I was a kid. Maybe his hasn't ended yet...but it will..._'

Crossing his arms, purple eyes scanned the interior of the plane idly until they came across a very peculiar device peeking out of Sanryo's open travel bag.

"I haven't seen _that_ kind of disk before..." He murmured audibly, taking slow, long strides toward the open case and fishing it out.

The guitar solo was abruptly ended when Sanryo saw what Yuuhi was talking about. The brunet's blue eyes snapped to the disk, the shock in them evident.

Yuugi answered for Sanryo when he stood up from his seat and took the disk. "Hmm..it's the type of disk that we used back home...but it looks different from all the other types..."

Judging from the look of well-masked fear in Sanryo's sapphire eyes, the next person to speak was the _last _person he wanted to know about that _particular_ disk. "That's because it's a prototype."

Seto took the disk from Yuugi and turned it over, cocking his brow when he saw the arm brace, noting what _wasn't _there. "More than just a prototype, it was the basis for the entire Duel Disk line. Since there's no serial code printed on it, that would mean it wasn't factory-produced...that only means one thing..."

Seto tuned over the disk in his hands and put it on. "This _particular _disk was hand-made and presented to the factory for mass production. In short, _the first one I ever made._"

Royal blue eyes locked their focus on their sapphire blue counterparts. "Sanryo, why do you have _my _disk?"

Sanryo put down his guitar and bowed toward Seto. "_Gomenasai, Chichioya-sama,_ but I took that disk with me to use as a baseline for my own research."

While Seto's stern stare softened (unnoticed to the untrained eye) at the rather respectful title, his voice was still unwavered. "And this research is...?"

Sanryo straightened and looked back to Seto with apologetic sapphire orbs. "To create a newer model with ambidexterous capacity." He picked up his guitar again. "As you can see, this guitar was custom made for me. All of the features are reversed because I cannot play a normal guitar."

"You're left handed?" Kabuto asked bluntly, straightening his glasses.

"Exactly." 

Seto took off the disk and gave it back, his unwavering stare on Sanryo. "Because of this..." Sanryo continued, putting on the disk himself. "It's awkward for me to conduct a Duel in this manner."

"Because everything is backwards for you..." Yuugi concluded.

Before Sanryo could reply, a new voice broke the conversation. "But that doesn't mean you can't duel."

Everyone turned to the sound of the new voice. Yuuhi, who chose this moment to speak, was taking down his drawstring bag from the overhead compartment. "Just because you can't put on a disk doesn't mean you can't duel someone..." He pulled out a small box from the bag and took out a deck. "...let's say, me for instance."

Sanryo noticed the deck, a small smile forming. "No, I guess not. But, surely this small space is not enough for a full-fledged duel."

"It doesn't have to happen on that disk you know...There's a table right here..."

The ponytailed Mutou gestured to the steward's cart, devoid of it's usual contents. Mark and Kabuto grinned to each other. "The second generation feud has begun." The latter commented, getting a better position on his seat.

"Great! I get to see the Titan in action!" The former exclaimed, following Kabuto's cue.

The tailcoated brunet knelt down and took out his own deck from his travel bag and took his seat on one side of the table. Shortly after, Yuuhi followed suit.

Yuuhi looked to the audience. "Sorry if this duel is lackluster...but it's the best we can do while thirty some-odd feet in the air."

While the pre-duel shuffling was underway, Jou took his spot next to Yuugi. "Why am I not surprised?" The blond said, casting his friend a softly mocking stare.

"Don't say it, Jou..." Yuugi cut him off sharply, rolling his eyes. Before Jou could retort, Yuugi got off his seat and moved closer for a better view. Luckily, he was in a spot just next to Riku, who was holding up a cell phone which had its calculator function activated.

"Alright." Riku began, setting the calcuator. "Usual rules: Challenged goes first, counters at eight thousand, single match."

Ryou tapped Yugi on the shoulder. "Why are the life point counters at eight thousand? I thought it was supposed to be at four?"

Apparently, Riku overheard the question and held up his hands in a 'time out' gesture, signalling the two Duelists to halt their preparations before turning to Yuugi and Ryou. "You're used to that rule?" He asked, perplexed. "Guess you didn't reach up to the point that people complained the duels were too short, so they doubled the LP count."

"Too short?" Jou repeated,openly shocked. "They didn't see the kinds of duels _we _went though...those felt like they went on for hours!"

Yuuhi put down his deck and turned in his seat. "Well, back in your time, you probably didn't have OTKs, Destroyers, Perfect Circles and DDT's." The ponytailed Mutou retorted, a tad irritated for being told to pause the duel.

The first generation Duelists all had a mutual reply to this. "What?"

All eyes were on Yuuhi now, a situation the ponytailed teen found to his liking as he shifted his seat and cut his deck absently. "A lot has changed about the dueling you know. I guess you probably didn't even hear of the Banlist." He paused for a minute to see if someone would exclaim that they did, when he got no such response, the Game Prince continued. "When the Cyber Games Association was founded, they pretty much took over Industrial Illusions' work. They took control of the cards, and began making new, more intricate and more devastating cards. So much in fact, that compared to the older cards, the older cards were deemed 'too dangerous' to be used anymore, and so they made the Banlist."

"You'll see what I mean. Right now, I'd prefer to demonstrate than to explain." Yuuhi took Sanryo's deck, which was placed next to his own, and cut it evenly, his opponent doing the same with his deck.

Once the preparations were done, Sanryo started his turn. "Discard three monsters to special summon Montage Dragon, attack postition."

After stating this, the brunet placed down a card. This card was of a (surprise, surprise) a Dragon, but this card was special.

Montage Dragon: ? / 0 ; Lvl. 8

Kabuto, acting as commentary, decided to save the players some explanation and provided it himself. "Montage Dragon can only be summoned by discarding three monsters to the graveyard. Its Attack power is determined by the level of the discarded monsters times three hundred."

The brunet nodded in acknowledgement. "The three discarded were all of level six, making this monster fifty-four hundred."

Montage Dragon: (5400) / 0

"End turn."

Yuuhi cocked a brow at Sanryo. "Why am I not surprised..." He mused, drawing his card. Sanryo remained passive, an unreadable expression on his face. '_That has got to be the best poker face I've seen in a while..._' The pony-tailed Mutou thought as he contemplated his move. "Pay 800 to Special Summon Netherflare Stallion, attack position." (Yuuhi's LP: 7200)

The card placed down was a strange one. It was of a pitch-black unicorn with a rather demonic mane of black flames.

Netherflare Stallion: 1800 / 1000 ; Lvl. 4

"Netherflare Stallion is part of the Netherflare Archetype." Kabuto began, pushing up his glasses. "Their theme is that you can normal summon them, or pay a certain amount of life points to special summon them with an effect. Each standby phase that passes, the controller has to pay that same amount for them to keep their effects. Some are DARK-type, some are FIRE-type, but they can be considered as both when on the Field and Graveyard." **(1)**

"Stallion's effect allows for piercing damage." Yuuhi stated. "Which means the difference between its attack and a monsters defense is inflicted." He added hastily, remembering the company he was in.

"Entering Battle Phase. Stallion attacks Montage Dragon." He paused, noticing some noises from the audience, a small smile grazed his lips. '_Here's something they'd like to see..._' "No response?" he asked Sanryo, who replied with a shake of his head. "Battle Step, activate Book of Moon from the hand to Flip Montage Dragon facedown." (Sanryo's LP: 6200)

'_Smart play._' Sanryo thought as he picked his Dragon off the field and onto the pile where he discarded the other three monsters. '_Netherflares are notorious for draining life points...so he would call for a piercing beatdown tactic to end duels fast, and some recovery cards to lengthen their duration._'

"Set two, and end turn."

The members of the audience were watching with bated breath, anticipation evident in their eyes, to quite the contrast, Sanryo's expression was unreadable, except for the slight glints of boredom in those sapphire eyes of his. These glints were what intrigued the audience the most, especially one particular person.

'_He looks so bored..._' Yuugi thought, leaning his head on his hand as he watched the duel. '_I've never seen anyone genuinely bored during a duel..._'

"My draw." Sapphire eyes slid over to gaze at the new card, blinked once, and moved back to Yuuhi, not revealing a single emotion, except boredom. "Special Summon Vice Dragon from the hand to the field."

Vice Dragon: 2000 / 2400 ; Lvl. 5

On cue, Kabuto's commentary chimed in to fill in the gaps in the audience's questioning minds. "Vice Dragon can be special summoned from the hand if its owner is faced with a monster whilst they have an empty field, the cost being that it's attack and defense power is halved."

Vice Dragon: 2000 / 2400 - 1000 / 1200

"Tribute Vice Dragon for Tiger Dragon, causing its effect to activate."

The level five Vice Dragon was swept off the Field and replaced by a larger, stranger looking level six Dragon. This one had stripes, as suggested by its name, along with a feline face, and green wings.

Tiger Dragon: 2400 / 1800

"If Tiger Dragon is summoned by tributing a Dragon-type monster," Sanryo explained, affixing rather firm, but stoic eye contact with Yuuhi. "I may be able to destroy up to two set cards on your field...if you would please."

Yuuhi, effortlessly matching Sanryo's stare, slid the two cards away.

"Entering Battle Phase. Tiger Dragon attacks Stallion." (Yuuhi's LP: 6600)

Yuuhi frowned a little as he put his Stallion away. "My Draw."

As he glanced at the next card, his thin lips curved upwards slightly. '_Hmph...who would've thought..._'

"Activate Tribute to the Doomed to destroy Tiger Dragon." Yuuhi stated, dropping two cards, one of them the mentioned spell card, down onto the field. His opponent responded by removing Tiger Dragon.

"Pay two thousand life points to Special Summon Netherflare Lord Darxial, Attack Position." (Yuuhi's LP: 4600)

He slipped one card out and placed it on the field. This one was - for there was no other word available to describe it - demonic. The man depicted on the card had blood red skin, which was shielded by pitch black, flaming armor. The most noticable part of the picture, the man's left arm, was because of said appendage was enclosed in a flame covered, glowing white Manica. Yet, to Yuugi...it was not the _only _noticable thing...

'_That card...I swear it looks familiar..._'

Netherflare Lord Darxial: 2500 / 2100 ; Lvl. 7 **(1)**

"Darxial's effect activates. Should there be a monster in my grave whilst my life points are below yours, I can summon a monster whose attack power is equal to or lower than the difference."

"The difference in life points is sixteen hundred, it isn't enough to special summon your Stallion." Sanryo stated, the look in his eyes still radiating his lack of enthusiasm.

"I did not target my Stallion with this effect...I targeted a different monster...a monster I've had with me since I was a kid."

Something sparked behind Sanryo's almost glassy sapphire eyes. Something that Yuugi knew all to well, excitement. "I beg your pardon?"

"Target for effect is Miracle Flipper, Attack position."

There, next to Darxial, was placed the card that everyone saw during that conference. The card that made Yuugi realize what this time's Mokuba meant.

'_It's a younger version of my Dark Magician._'

Miracle Flipper: 300 / 500 ; Lvl. 2

"Double direct attack." (Sanryo's LP: 3700/4600)

The audience was (somewhat literally) on the edge of their seats. Yuuhi just made a rather questionable play, and Sanryo was down to one card. The next draw was everything.

"Draw." Sanryo declared, only now with a little more enthusiasm. Sapphire eyes grazed the card and the spark of excitement grew even more. "Activate Underground Hoard Passage." He said, showing Yuuhi the spell card. "If you have a monster of below one thousand Attack power, this card allows me to special summon a monster with an equal amount of attack power from my deck."

He picked up his deck and flipped it through, stopping and drawing out a card a moment later. "You're not the only one who can make an unorthodox play. I special summon White of Legend in attack position."

In front of Miracle Flipper, a card was placed. This card depicted nothing more than a pure, sparkling white egg. But there was no mistaking it.

'_That is most definitely the egg of a Blue Eyes White Dragon._'

White of Legend: 300 / 250 ; Lvl. 1

"Next, I tribute both these monsters for my Felgrand Dragon."

He slipped both cards off the field, and in their place he set down a card depicting a beautiful gold and sliver dragon, rearing up with pride.

Felgrand Dragon: 2800 / 2800 ; Lvl. 8

"As soon as Felgrand is summoned, his effect activates. I can select one monster from my graveyard, and I can increase my dragons Attack and Defense equal to the selected monster's Level. My targeted monster is my White of Legend.

Felgrand Dragon: 2800 / 2800 - 3000 / 3000

"Entering battle phase. Felgrand..."

Just then, a ringing broke all of the people in the plane cabin out of the attention of the duel. "_**Attention Passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are just about to make preparations to land, so please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts, we will be arriving in the United States of America shortly.**_"

"Oh, perfect timing!" Mark whined, blowing a lock of hair from his face. "Just when the duel was getting interesting!"

Disappointed, everyone went back to their seats as both Duelists collected their cards. But, just before they had to push the table away, Yuuhi leaned in closer to Sanryo.

"Later, hotel room...rematch with me..."

"Of course, perhaps then you could get a better draw, Mutou..." Sanryo replied, referring to Yuuhi by his last name with a lightly arrogant smirk.

"Why don't _you _get better tactics..." Yuuhi retorted, casting the brunet a sharp, but friendly glare. "..._Kaiba._"

Overhearing this, Mark leaned back into his seat and folded his arms behind his head. As he gazed down at the unmistakable American coastline, he closed his eyes and relived that fantasy again.

Yes, this was going to be the most exciting World Cyber Games yet.

**o.O.o.O.o**

**(1) The Netherflare series is an Archetype of monsters that I created myself. **

**Thank you all for reading this to the end, and I hope the you will continue to read the next arc:**

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 2: Odyssey of a King **_

**Thank you once again! Enjoy 2009!**


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